Discretionary funds have reached a “critical” level as some universities have run out of the hardship finance.

Universities have run out of crisis funds to help those struggling to find enough money to continue their courses, with academic performance now being taken into account when applying for help.

Napier staff are advising students to try renegotiating debts, as they cannot help all those going to them for aid.

Stringer continued: “We are also finding many students’ parents are no longer able to provide the level of help previously afforded, due to, for example, loss of their own employment, less work available to the self-employed and loss of income from savings.”

She added: “In order to most efficiently manage the remaining discretionary funds, applicants are being advised, where possible, to negotiate suitable repayment plans for any outstanding bills, particularly utility bills, and to rearrange any existing debt or loan repayments.”

It ran out of money before Christmas and asked the SAAS for £40,000 extra. It received only £23,272 last month, and this has already been exhausted.

Abertay has had so many pleas for support that it is “means-testing” on an academic basis.

Professor Bernard King, its principal, said: “The university is withdrawing allocated funds to those students in poor academic standing to distribute to those in most need in good academic standing. The university believes additional funds will be required to assist those students who, mid-year, fall on hard times.”

Gordon Brown has appealed to Iran to end its uranium enrichment programme in return for international help in developing a civil nuclear power industry. 

Addressing an international conference in London, the Prime Minister said that Iran represents a crucial “test case” for the world as it prepares for a massive expansion in nuclear power to counter climate change.

In his speech to diplomats and scientists, the Prime Minister said, “like it or not”, civil nuclear power will have to become more widespread in the coming decades if the world is to curb damaging carbon emissions.

Brown added: “However, the need to open up nuclear technology to non-nuclear nations will require a new philosophy, combining the right to civil power generation with sanctions for those nations that break the rules on the development of weapons.”

Dr Vicky Pope, head of climate change advice at the Met Office, said: “Anything that alters the climate in a different way from reducing carbon has inherent dangers because we don’t understand the climate well enough.”

The Scottish Government is opposed to any new nuclear power developments, instead opting to make the nation the “green capital” of Europe.

SNP Westminster Energy spokesperson, Mike Weir MP, told Veritas: “I would remind Gordon Brown that the Scottish Government, and indeed the Scottish Parliament, reject the development of dangerous, unnecessary and costly new nuclear power stations in Scotland.”

He continued: “The Scottish Government are leading the way with clean, green and reliable alternatives. Scotland has massive renewables potential, as well as significant opportunities for clean fossil-fuel technologies and carbon storage.”

Weir added: “Harnessing that potential can meet our future energy demands several times over, while tackling climate change.”

Calum D Liddle

Chocoholics breathed a sigh of relief after doctors rejected plans for their favourite snack to be taxed in the same way as alcohol and cigarettes.

Food industry leaders said such a proposal would result only in lighter wallets, not smaller waists. The Food and Drink Federation said the tax would be a “bureaucratic nightmare”.

Federation spokesman Julian Hunt said: “There is no evidence to suggest that such ‘fat taxes’ would actually work in reality.”

Calum D Liddle

6000 secondary school pupils were expelled or suspended last year for fighting, assaulting staff and carrying weapons.

The figures, released under a Veritas freedom of information request show Hillpark Secondary in Glasgow is the most violent school in Scotland, with 120 exclusions for violence last year.
The statistics show unruly pupils were barred from school at a rate of more than 100 each week in 2007-08.

There were also 400 youngsters excluded from primary schools during the same period.

More than 100 violent incidents involved the use of an “improvised weapon” against teachers and pupils.

Shawlands Academy, also in Glasgow, had the second worst record for violence, with 98 exclusions for fighting, including six cases where a member of staff was assaulted.

St Matthew’s secondary in North Ayrshire reported 90 exclusions, while at Our Lady and St Patrick’s High in West Dunbartonshire, violent behaviour led to 66 exclusions. The worst primary school was Benarty in Lochgelly, Fife, which recorded 29 assaults.

Pupils at Camstradden primary in Drumchapel were also among the worst behaved, with 24 violent incidents, while Strathmore primary in Angus recorded 20.

Bill Aitken, Conservative MSP, told Veritas that head teachers need more powers to discipline pupils amid fears that students exploit their lack of authority.

Aitken said: “Discipline is an integral part of the schooling process. Clearly something is wrong in a society were 6000 pupils are told to leave school due to violent behaviour – it is a national disgrace.”

Catie Guitart

In a case of preaching to the unconverted, Scottish comedian The Reverend Obadian Steppenwolfe III has been accused of “grossly crossing a line of decency and respect” by the Stirling University Students Association (SUSA), who are campaigning to have him banned from 16 student unions

The Reverend, real name Jim Muir, joked about the appearance of a transvestite student sitting in the front row of a recent student union gig in Stirling.

Mark Cullen, Vice President Services and Treasurer of SUSA, said: “There is nothing that the student movement takes more seriously than equality and he was essentially a bully. We all accept that comedy will often be cutting edge and controversial but there is a line of decency and respect that was grossly crossed.”

Muir refutes the row, pointing to the fact that the complaint did not originate from the student in question, but from a feminist group within Stirling University and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) officer for Stirling University Mark Charters.

Charters, who proposed the ban, said: ‘Humour is humour but at the point when you base your whole comedy sketch on one specific part of society, the LGBT community, and then victimise one person for being a transvestite that’s just wrong. We believe that the union should place a permanent ban on the comedy act in question and NUS Scotland should inform other unions about this act and how it breaks the equal opportunity policy.”

Charters has not explained how the show broke the equal opportunity policy.

Muir told Veritas he was first advised the row was due to jokes he made about women during his set, and was then informed it was due to the interaction with the student in the front row.

The self-defined transvestite in question said: “I really didn’t mind that much but I suppose he went a bit far. But he’s a comic, he’s trying to get people to laugh and it’s an opportunity. I was more offended by the Islamic jokes to be honest. He was quite rude to a lot of people.”

Speaking to Veritas, Muir said: “It’s just factually incorrect. Outwith the fact [Charters] doesn’t really have a point, because it’s a comedy club, it’s just incorrect. I refute all these allegations.”

Comedian Tom Stade, who also performed at the gig, hit out at the student groups fuelling the quarrel. He told Veritas: “With that frame of mind, you shouldn’t go to a comedy club. Go to a UN meeting. You’re picking on the Reverend, who is an easy target. Your women’s rights are alive and well here. If you want to further women’s rights, go to Iran or Saudi Arabia, where they actually need your help. See how far your letters get you there.

“Just because you are a feminist doesn’t mean you are immune to being made fun of. This is actually getting in the way of free speech.”

Jen Lavery, Assistant Press Officer at The Stand Comedy Club, said: “What is extremely notable about this case is that the ‘victim’ themselves is not actually the person who complained, nor do they seem particularly upset by what occurred. There seems to be a climate at the moment – kicked off by the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross affair – of people jumping all over comedians the second they say something controversial, despite the fact that that is in part what comedy is about. When comedians are afraid to say something in case they might offend then comedy as an art form and as a cultural force is stifled, and that cannot be allowed to happen.”

Muir has invited the complainants to an open debate at the Stand Comedy Club in Glasgow on March 23^rd. Frankie Boyle, Tom Stade and Raymond Mearns, all classically trained debaters, will be lending their support. Muir has stated whoever wins the debate can lay claim to the ticket money.

When approached for comment on the debacle, the Ministry of Steppenwolfe stated: “The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world that he didn’t have tits.”