To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional full-time equivalent (a) college and (b) university places were funded by the £20 million announced for education and lifelong learning by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in the budget ( Official Report c. 23368).

We have been working with the Scottish Funding Council and the Students Award Agency for Scotland to determine how best to allocate this funding. The number of higher education places being funded by the Scottish Funding Council in both the college and university sectors has been decided for the academic year 2010-11. While the admissions process for academic year 2010-11 is not yet complete, it is clear that there is a strong demand for higher education courses. We wish to ensure that there is adequate support for the students who take up the offer of a place, while meeting the commitment we gave to provide student support for an additional 7,500 students in academic year 2009-10, many of whom will continue their studies in academic year 2010-11.

As a result, the £20 million announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth will be transferred to the Students Award Agency for Scotland as part of the Autumn Budget Revision process, to help meet this demand in academic year 2010-11.