§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what reasons the number of staff employed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland has been reduced over the last four years. [29768]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 16 February 1998]: Reductions in staff at the Agency, as elsewhere in the Civil Service, were made under the previous Government in accordance with their policies towards the public services.
§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure that from 1998 all students applying to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland will have their applications processed within 21 days of receipt; and if he will make a statement. [29716]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 16 February 1998]: The immediate priority for the Agency is to regain its capacity to meet its current target of processing fully completed 78W application forms within 28 calendar days of receipt. The work of the Review of the Agency which is currently underway is directed to that end.
§ Mr. David MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of(a) male and (b) female students in each constituency in Scotland who are in receipt of an award from the Scottish Student Awards Agency. [29793]
§ Mr. WilsonThe data on student award holders in Scotland are not held by reference to parliamentary constituencies and could not readily be converted to that basis.
The total number of Scottish-domiciled students in full-time higher education who were in receipt of an award from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland in academic year 1996–97 (the most recent year for which complete figures are available) was 110,506. Of these, 53,173 were male and 57,333 were female.