Scottish colleges ill-prepared for debt

Virtually all of Scotland's further education colleges are forecast to have an operating deficit this year, but only a minority have set out explicit strategies to improve their financial health, the National Audit Office has found. The NAO report reveals that in 1994, only 12 of the 43 colleges had an operating deficit, but this rose to 34 in 1997, and was forecast to reach 39 this year.