How often Ministers have met representatives of the Scottish Qualifications Authority since 1 June 1999, on what dates these meetings took …

I met with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the SQA on 6 March 2000 when a range of issues were discussed, including approval of SQA's Corporate Plan, financial and IT matters, qualifications developments, international activities and vacancies in board appointments.Mr Sam Galbraith, Minister for Children and Education, met SQA representatives on 5 August 1999 when visiting the SQA offices to see the dispatch of the 1999 examination results. On that occasion he received a general briefing on SQA activities. Mr Galbraith also met the Chairman and Chief Executive of SQA informally when he addressed the organisation's annual conference on 19 May 2000.Mr Galbraith met the Chairman and Chief Executive of SQA on 25 July 2000 to discuss examination issues. Mr Galbraith subsequently met the SQA Chairman and senior staff on 13 August 2000 to discuss SQA's plans to resolve problems surrounding this year's examination results and, on the same day, met with SQA and COSHEP representatives to discuss how to protect the interests of higher education applicants.Mr Galbraith also met with the SQA Chairman and interim Chief Executive informally when visiting the SQA's Dalkeith offices on 14 August 2000 to meet operational staff dealing with examination results problems.In addition to the above meetings, SQA representatives will have attended a number of ministerial meetings and engagements along with representatives of other bodies.