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Description
Topical Questions
1. Neil Bibby: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the cost of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme. (S5T-00043)
2. Tavish Scott: To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to the findings of the Audit Scotland report, Scotland’s colleges 2016. (S5T-00040)
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A
A
The
next
item
of
business
is
consideration
of
business
motion
1238
in
the
name
of
Joe
Fitzpatrick,
on
behalf
of
the
parliamentary
Bureau
setting
out
the
business
program,
I
would
ask
any
member
who
wishes
to
speak
against
the
motion
to
press
the
request
to
be
to
speak
button
now.
I
call
him
to
a
Fitzpatrick
to
move
motion.
One
two:
three
eight
formerly
moved
Thank
You
minister.
No
member
has
to
speak.
At
my
put
the
question
to
the
chamber.
The
question
is
that
motion
number
one,
two
three
eight
in
the
name
of
Joe
Fitzpatrick,
be
agreed.
A
A
C
Time
to
use
it,
thank
you
for
lending
officer,
as
I
indicated
and
my
letter
to
the
rural
economy
and
connectivity
committee
in
the
fifth
of
July,
the
office
of
road
and
rail
orr
published
a
report
also
in
the
first
of
july,
which
identified
risks
around
network
rail's
increased
cost
estimates
in
many
cases
across
the
UK,
including
the
egypt
program.
I
remain
deeply
frustrated
by
network
rail's
and
ability
to
deliver
egypt
within
the
estimated
budget.
C
I
have
therefore
weapon
to
chief
executive
of
network
rail
mark
Karn
to
make
it
clear
that
the
scottish
government
simply
does
not
accept
that
it's
not
prepared
to
accept
the
long-term
cost
implications
and
to
that
end,
I
have
instructed
Transport
Scotland
to
undertake
an
intensive
review
of
the
entire
program.
That
review
is
expected
to
conclude
later
this
month.
You.
B
Know
baby
reports,
this
project,
there's
no
behind
schedule
and
over
budget
due
to
some
fundamental
errors,
are
extremely
concerning
to
passengers
and
taxpayers
awake
further
through
what
the
minister
has
just
said.
Can
you
confirm
that
overhead
wires,
where
indeed
old,
wrong
hates
that
bridges
were
built
to
law,
to
meet
basic
safety
standards
and
that
last
year
alone,
an
extra
thirty
two
million
pounds
was
spent
on
this
project
and
the
total
bail
is
set
to
rise?
Even
for
the
candor
minister
tells
exactly
how
this
was
allowed
to
happen,
and
when
will
egypt
finally
be
completed?
Minister.
C
C
In
addition
to
what
their
estimates
originally
available,
we
will
account
for
every
single
one
of
the
every
single
penny
and
we
expect
the
parliament
and,
of
course,
the
committee's
in
this
Parliament,
to
also
hold
them
to
account
and
that
in
when
I
spoke
to
mark
karna
I
made
it
very
clear
that
I
expect
network
real
officials
to
appear
in
front
of
this
Parliament
in
front
of
those
committees.
It
would
be
unsurprising
to
the
member.
C
Realz
an
effective
management
of
that
contractor
and
majorly
because
of
compliance
issues
which
have
affected
projects
not
just
in
Scotland
but
of
course,
I
have
a
devastating
effect
on
projects
that
had
to
be
cancelled.
South
of
the
border
and
I
agree
with
the
member
utterly
unacceptable.
Let's
see
what
the
review
says
at
the
end
of
the
month:
let's
pull
them
in
front
of
this
Parliament
and
let's
get
answers
from
network
grill,
Neil.
B
Is
this
is
not
the
only
issue
too
affected,
obviously
a
passengers
that
summer
passengers
have
had
to
endure
a
summer
of
disruption
on
Scotland's
railways,
we've
seen
the
Queen
Street
Tunnel
closure,
major
delays
on
the
borders,
railway
and
other
routes,
12
days
of
industrial
action,
/
staff
safety
concerns,
I,
know,
Egypt,
is
delete
and
over
budget
passengers
have
been
very
patient,
but
that
patients
has
been
put
to
dilemma
and
I
will
see
to
the
government
after
willing
to
take
the
credit,
probably
went
for
structural
projects.
They've
got
to
take
responsibility
as
well.
C
May
be
a
new
parliamentary
session,
but
it's
the
same
old
Scottish,
Labour
Party,
a
presiding
officer
to
be
accused
of
a
summer
of
chaos
from
scottish
labour
is
quite
ironic,
may
I
just
see
in
terms
of
the
projects
that
he
wrote
legs,
let's
just
take
a
few
of
them
that
he
quoted
he
mentioned
queen
street.
That
was
opened,
of
course,
the
tunnel
ahead
of
schedule
and
under
budget,
oh
yeah.
So
let's
make
that
point
in
terms
of
borders,
railway,
of
course,
as
the
anniversary
of
borders,
railway
and
passenger
numbers
have
exceeded
those
forecasts.
C
We
should
be
celebrating
that,
yes,
there
are
still
some
improvements
to
be
made
in
terms
of
the
issues
around
Network
Rail.
What
I
would
say
to
the
members?
We've
instructed
a
review
that
review
well
report
back
the
causes
well
report
back
what
the
estimates
are
in
terms
of
the
budget.
The
tame
skill
I
will
certainly
ask
questions
of
network
rail
I
expect
every
member
to
do
that.
D
C
Yes,
I'm
pleased
to
say
that
the
Queen
Street
Tunnel
closure
and
then
the
improvements
that
made
to
construct
tunnel
have
been
been
successful,
but
that's
not
to
take
away
from
the
fact
that
we
asked
or
disappointed
about
the
potential
delays
and
the
over
estimates
in
terms
of
the
costs
associated
with
Egypt.
So
we
will
instruct
that
review
is
already
ongoing
and
then
we'll
put
network
rail
under
scrutiny.
Father.
E
Of
the
hallmarks
of
the
upgrade
of
the
railway
line
so
far
has
been
the
engagement
with
the
public
well
in
advance
of
each
of
the
potential
disruptions
of
delays.
I.
Think
many
people,
however,
were
astonished
to
find
that,
with
just
a
few
days
notice,
there
was
to
be
no
train
service
between
glasgow
and
edinburgh
after
eight-thirty
in
the
evenings
from
Sunday
through
Thursday
and
late
start
on
Sundays
itself.
Does
he
feel
that
the
public
information
and
awareness
of
this
very
considerable
change
was
at
quit?
Yes,.
C
Sir
I
think
the
member
raises
a
very
fair
point.
Indeed,
I
think
the
Queen
Street
Tunnel
closure
went
very
well
because
of
the
front
foot
of
nature
of
the
communications,
and
thanks
to
my
predecessor
for
that
I
would
agree.
I've
had
a
number
of
members
write
to
me.
Email
me
get
in
touch
with
me
about
the
fact
that
these
disruptions
went
communicated,
advance
I,
think
that's
something
Scott
Leo
should
reflect
on.
F
G
You
for
saving
officer
the
audit
Scotland
support,
Scotland's
colleges.
2016
is
a
helpful
in
confirming
that
Scotland's
College
sake,
today's
financially
stable
overall,
and
that
colleges
continue
to
exceed
their
targets
for
the
amount
of
student
learning
to
be
delivered
more
generally.
The
report
highlights
what
is
working
well
and
where
improvements
can
be
made.
We
will
work
closely
with
the
Scottish
funding
council
oncology's,
to
consider
the
findings
and
recommendations
and
to
ensure
that
we
continue
to
deliver
on
the
successes
that
we've
had
such
as
full
time
students
under
25,
increasing
by
thirty
percent.
F
Good,
thank
you
planning
officer.
The
minister
will
know
that
the
2015
audit
Scotland
report
said
it
was
unclear
what
savings
from
college
mergers
have
been
achieved
and
what
the
full
costs
of
the
merger
process.
Our
audit
Scotland
delivered
this
indictment
last
year
and
again
delivered
it.
Just
last
week,
today,
more
than
2,000
colleges
support
staff
are
demonstrating
over
P.
Will
the
government
published
the
real
costs
of
college
mergers
so
that
staff
taking
industrial
action
and
Parliament
know
the
truth,
as
always
Scotland
deed
recommended?
Mr.
F
G
You
well
I'm
sure
Travis
Scott
will
have
read
in
detail
their
Scottish
funding
council
support
the
impact
and
successes
of
majors,
which
already
goes
into
this
in
great
detail.
It
does
estimate
the
cost
for
majors
to
be
at
69.6,
knowing
it's
a
one-off
costs,
but
the
savings
each
year
to
be
50,
2.2
million
and
I
know
from
the
summer
visits
that
I've
had
from
campuses
across
the
country
that
we
are
already
seeing
success
and
that
outcomes
for
students
decrease
duplication
and
a
high
quality
learning
environment
for
the
students.
F
Thank
You
presiding
officer,
which
begs,
of
course,
the
question
why
audit
Scotland
made
the
same
recommendation
twice,
but
the
minister
might
just
simply
want
to
reflect
on
that
audit
Scotland
Seether
have
been.
There
has
been
rather
a
forty-one
percent
decrease
in
college
students
and
a
forty-eight
percent
decrease
in
the
number
of
part-time
places
at
colleges
which
has
particularly
affected
women.
Does
the
count?
F
G
The
member
will
be
very
well
aware
that
we
laid
out
in
our
manifest
or
a
commitment
to
160,000
full-time
equivalent
places.
We've
kept
that
commitment
within
the
College
Sector
and
the
entire
basis
for
the
college
policy
that
we
have
is
to
ensure
that
we
are
providing
the
adequate
and
the
correct
courses
that
are
required
for
the
employers
in
that
area
and
that's
what
we're
seeing
is
full-time
courses
leading
to
employment.
Now,
that's
not
to
say
that
short-term
courses
are
not
being
funded.
G
Of
course
they
are,
those
that
are
leading
to
employment
are
still
being
funded
and,
for
example,
we're
seeing
ninety-seven
percent
of
learning
errors
in
2014-15
being
delivered
on
courses
that
lead
to
recognize
qualifications.
That's
a
direct
impact
that
will
have
to
the
economy
and
the
local
area,
and
the
member
also
refers
to
the
police
of
women
within
our
college
sector,
which
is,
of
course
something
that
seemed
extremely
important.
G
That's
why
I'm
delighted
that
the
gender
imbalance
within
courses
is
still
maturing
that
women
are
in
the
minority
with
women
within
our
within
the
majority
in
the
college
population?
That's
fifty
two
percent
in
1415,
but
we're
not
resting
there
and
we're
also
making
sure,
with
their
gender
action
plan,
that
the
Scottish
funding
counsels
taken
out
that
we're
taking
action
on
specific
courses
where
gender
imbalance
does
exist.
There's
also
the
members
should
bear
in
mind
that
the
number
of
women
in
full-time
courses
has,
of
course
increased
by
sixteen
percent.
So
six
or
seven
Colin.
H
You,
minister,
you
mentioned
the
Scottish
funding
council
and
in
audit
Scotland
support,
both
oncology's
and
in
universities.
Questions
have
been
raised
about
whether
it's
been
a
lack
of
clarity
in
the
rules,
the
Scottish
funding
council
and
whether
it
comes
to
outcome
agreements
and
the
discussions
with
individual
colleges
and
universities.
Whether
that
is
in
any
way
particularly
clear,
could
I
ask
what
the
scottish
government
is
doing
to
respond
to
that
criticism.
Mr.
Sam.