Recommendations & Conclusions
42 items
4
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
EU students paying international student rates can provide a new and potentially lucrative income stream for Scottish universities, though this new income stream may face the same risks posed to fees from international students. Although applications from EU students have dropped by about 40% for 2021–22 (that year being the …
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EU students paying international student rates can provide a new and potentially lucrative income stream for Scottish universities, though this new income stream may face the same risks posed to fees from international students. Although applications from EU students have dropped by about 40% for 2021–22 (that year being the first year that EU students will pay the new rates), this is a lower drop than many in the sector had feared, and Scottish universities will now receive four to five times more income per EU student than was previously the case. That said, it is important that, following Brexit, Scotland is still able to attract the brightest and best from the EU. 4 Universities and Scotland This is not only because EU students tend to gravitate towards vital STEM subjects (which can otherwise be difficult to recruit for), but also because EU students are more likely to stay on in Scottish academia/research once they graduate than other international students. These students can play a key role in our economic recovery following the pandemic. The UK Government should launch a new or expanded scholarship scheme to encourage the most talented EU students to study in the UK and Scotland. This would help heal UK-EU divides following Brexit, assist in combating falling EU student numbers in Scotland and provide a new pathway to attract and retain the brightest and best from the EU. In addition, the UK Government should increase funding to Study UK in order to increase their capacity to target EU students who may be hesitant to study in the UK. (Paragraph 62) Student welfare, experience and opportunities
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Government response AI summary
The government's response highlights increased overall international student visa grants and new Student and Graduate visa routes, but does not commit to a new or expanded scholarship scheme specifically for EU students or increased funding for Study UK to target EU students.
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Scotland Office
5
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Students in Scotland, as with so many groups, faced unprecedented challenges over the course of the pandemic. Whilst we welcome the investments the Scottish Government has made in student wellbeing and mental health during this period, we have heard evidence of structural underfunding that predated the pandemic, long waiting lists …
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Students in Scotland, as with so many groups, faced unprecedented challenges over the course of the pandemic. Whilst we welcome the investments the Scottish Government has made in student wellbeing and mental health during this period, we have heard evidence of structural underfunding that predated the pandemic, long waiting lists and poor triaging of mental health inquiries. This is, in turn, pushing the provision of student mental health support onto academic staff, many of whom report facing challenges of their own, and may not be appropriately trained. The Scottish Government should look again at the provision of mental health services to university students, including by reviewing current triaging processes related to mental health inquiries, to ensure that students are being quickly directed to the appropriate services and support providers. The Scottish Government should also consider whether further investment may be needed in order to shorten mental health support waiting lists for university students (in the same way it has recently done for college students and staff through an additional £4.4 million of mental health support), thereby also reducing pressures on higher education academic staff.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses the Turing Scheme and international educational mobility, failing to address the recommendation regarding mental health services for university students in Scotland.
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Scotland Office
6
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Scottish universities are dependent on immigration decisions made at UK-level but have limited opportunities to influence those decision-making processes. Given that the UK and Scottish Governments both recognise the importance of reflecting Scottish interests in UK immigration policies, the UK Government should submit a full formal response to our predecessor …
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Scottish universities are dependent on immigration decisions made at UK-level but have limited opportunities to influence those decision-making processes. Given that the UK and Scottish Governments both recognise the importance of reflecting Scottish interests in UK immigration policies, the UK Government should submit a full formal response to our predecessor Committee’s Report of 4 July 2018 on Immigration and Scotland, which covered the immigration issues associated with international students in Scotland. It would be particularly helpful if the Government would respond to the parts of the Report which focus on issues affecting students.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response for this item focused on the Turing Scheme and Erasmus+ and did not address the recommendation to submit a full formal response to the predecessor Committee’s 2018 report on Immigration and Scotland.
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Scotland Office
7
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Until 17 December 2020, one week before the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was reached, the UK Government was reassuring Parliament that UK participation in Erasmus+ was intended to be included within the UK-EU deal. Given that Erasmus+ disproportionally benefited Scotland compared to other parts of the UK, we are …
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Until 17 December 2020, one week before the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was reached, the UK Government was reassuring Parliament that UK participation in Erasmus+ was intended to be included within the UK-EU deal. Given that Erasmus+ disproportionally benefited Scotland compared to other parts of the UK, we are disappointed that no agreement on this could be reached. Nevertheless, we support the Government’s Turing Scheme, especially that it should benefit 35,000 UK students per year (compared to 17,000 under Erasmus+), and that it will open international opportunities wider than just the EU. We look forward to working with UK Government on this and the International Education Strategy. (Paragraph 100) Universities and Scotland 5
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Government response AI summary
The government's response details its plans for R&D funding and Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending, failing to address the committee's comments on the Turing Scheme or the International Education Strategy.
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Scotland Office
8
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
We note with regret however that the Turing scheme will not—as currently envisaged—support inward placements to the UK. As the Government recognises, as well as providing Scottish universities and local economies with an important income source, inward placements support the cultural education and experience of UK students in a way …
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We note with regret however that the Turing scheme will not—as currently envisaged—support inward placements to the UK. As the Government recognises, as well as providing Scottish universities and local economies with an important income source, inward placements support the cultural education and experience of UK students in a way that is difficult to replicate by other means. They also support Scottish universities’ internationalisation agenda by promoting them on a global platform and building international networks that can last a lifetime. We also regret that there is currently no long-term funding commitment beyond year-one of the Turing Scheme to the principle of international student exchange. Subject to positive year-one results from the Turing Scheme, we recommend not only that the scheme continue with at least the same level of funding in future years, but that it be expanded to incorporate the funding of international student and academic staff placements to the UK.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses UKRI board appointments and governance structures, but does not address the recommendation to continue and expand the Turing Scheme to include funding for international student and academic staff inward placements.
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Scotland Office
9
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
The Scottish Government has indicated a desire to remain in the Erasmus+ programme. Should they decide to continue down this path and be willing to cover the associated costs, and should the EU consent to Scottish participation, the UK Government should not block this endeavour (at least until such a …
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The Scottish Government has indicated a desire to remain in the Erasmus+ programme. Should they decide to continue down this path and be willing to cover the associated costs, and should the EU consent to Scottish participation, the UK Government should not block this endeavour (at least until such a point that the Turing Scheme can facilitate inward exchanges). (Paragraph 106) Academic research by universities in Scotland
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Government response AI summary
The government's response focused solely on the UK's association with Horizon Europe and the delays encountered from the EU, completely failing to address the recommendation regarding the Scottish Government's desire to remain in the Erasmus+ programme.
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Scotland Office
10
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
The UK Government should be praised for its UK Research and Development Roadmap, especially the commitment to reach 2.4% of GDP spend in this area, which has been extensively welcomed by academic institutions in Scotland. The UK Government should ensure that the commitments it made in the UK Research and …
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The UK Government should be praised for its UK Research and Development Roadmap, especially the commitment to reach 2.4% of GDP spend in this area, which has been extensively welcomed by academic institutions in Scotland. The UK Government should ensure that the commitments it made in the UK Research and Development Roadmap are not derailed as a result of the temporary reduction in UK ODA spend.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response did not address the recommendation to ensure that UK Research and Development Roadmap commitments are not derailed by the temporary reduction in UK ODA spend, instead focusing entirely on visa fees and immigration policies.
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Scotland Office
11
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
The work of Scottish universities in combating covid-19 has been nothing short of remarkable. Going forward, the academic outputs of Scottish universities will not only support our economic recovery following the pandemic but also bolster the UK’s standing in the world as we forge new post-Brexit international relationships. In return, …
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The work of Scottish universities in combating covid-19 has been nothing short of remarkable. Going forward, the academic outputs of Scottish universities will not only support our economic recovery following the pandemic but also bolster the UK’s standing in the world as we forge new post-Brexit international relationships. In return, Scottish academic research institutions deserve appropriate recognition and influence at UK-level. Scottish institutions should be given greater prominence and influence within UKRI decision-making structures. That should include a seat on the UKRI Board (as is already the case for English institutions such as the London School of Economics and the University of Cambridge), which is at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, and a seat on the UKRI Executive Committee, for example for the Scottish Funding Council (in the same way that Research England are already represented), which is at the discretion of UKRI CEO (who should take into account public sector goals, such as ensuring that the voices of all UK nations are appropriately welcomed and heard).
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Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses immigration policies and the Office for Talent, completely failing to address the recommendation regarding Scottish representation on UKRI boards and Executive Committee.
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Scotland Office
13
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Scottish universities are inherently international institutions; international collaborations play a big part in their successes. In addition, Scottish universities act as much-valued international hubs in their local communities, bringing important cultural benefits. Scottish universities’ internationalisation agenda should therefore be supported. The UK Government has a major role to play in …
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Scottish universities are inherently international institutions; international collaborations play a big part in their successes. In addition, Scottish universities act as much-valued international hubs in their local communities, bringing important cultural benefits. Scottish universities’ internationalisation agenda should therefore be supported. The UK Government has a major role to play in this in terms of how it develops its foreign and immigration policies. The UK Government should be praised for introducing the post-study work visa, which plays a key role in attracting, and then retaining, the brightest and best students from overseas. The Global Talent visa is also very welcome, but its cost should be addressed. Wellcome has highlighted that, for an international academic with a spouse and children to move to the UK, it would cost around £13,000 for visas (and associated costs) to work in the UK under a five-year Global Talent visa, compared to around £1,000 in France. In order to allow Scotland to remain competitive and attractive to the best international research talent, who can bring so much to our economy and society, the UK Government should reduce the cost of visas for international researchers and their families, to a level competitive with countries such as France. If the UK Government decides not to reduce the cost of the Global Talent visa (and associated costs for the families of ‘lead’ applicants), the UK Government should seek to justify the reasons for these high fees in comparison to other countries. The UK Government should also take a pragmatic approach to researcher visa extensions, especially in light of covid-19, which has caused unavoidable delays to some research projects.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response did not address the specific recommendations concerning reducing visa costs for international researchers and their families, justifying high fees, or taking a pragmatic approach to researcher visa extensions.
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Scotland Office
17
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Although there is no formal cap on the number of Scottish students who can study at Scottish universities, in order to budget effectively, the Scottish Government predefines the funding it provides to Scottish universities each year to cover the cost of tuition for Scottish students. This has the result of …
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Although there is no formal cap on the number of Scottish students who can study at Scottish universities, in order to budget effectively, the Scottish Government predefines the funding it provides to Scottish universities each year to cover the cost of tuition for Scottish students. This has the result of creating an unofficial cap on the number of Scottish students who can study at Scottish universities each year. According to the Scottish Government: 22 Education spending in the UK, Briefing Paper 1078, House of Commons Library, 4 December 2020 23 Q54 24 “Douglas Ross: Scottish Tories to support free university tuition”, BBC News, 6 October 2020 25 The Scottish Parliament (SPICe Spotlight), ‘The price of free tuition in Scotland’, accessed 24 January 2021 26 Secretary of State at the Scotland Office (USC0011) 27 Audit Scotland, Finances of Scottish universities, September 2019, para 50 Universities and Scotland 11 Each institution is allocated a number of full time equivalent funded places via the Scottish Funding Council for eligible Scottish domiciled [ … ] students on full-time undergraduate courses. The total number of funded places in Scottish universities [was] over 128,200 in 2019–20. International students and those from other parts of the UK [ … ] are not eligible to access the funded places which have been protected for Scottish [ … ] students. To enable flexibility in student recruitment, the Scottish Funding Council allows universities to recruit up to 10% above the number of funded places available. In addition to this, universities are able to offer as many places to [students from other parts of the UK] and international students as they wish.28
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Government response AI summary
The government states that higher education in Scotland is largely a devolved responsibility and outlines its ongoing engagement with the Scottish Government. It also highlights its International Education Strategy and the Graduate Route to help universities diversify student recruitment, but does not directly address the …
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Scotland Office
18
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
As students pay for their own tuition in other parts of the UK, a similar cap does not exist elsewhere (other than for a temporary period during the covid-19 pandemic).29 It was reported in 2020 that, for the previous academic year, the unofficial ‘cap’ had led to only 55% of …
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As students pay for their own tuition in other parts of the UK, a similar cap does not exist elsewhere (other than for a temporary period during the covid-19 pandemic).29 It was reported in 2020 that, for the previous academic year, the unofficial ‘cap’ had led to only 55% of university applications from Scottish students being offered a place at Scottish universities, compared to 74% of English students at Scottish universities,30 raising questions about impact the free tuition policy has on widening access for Scottish students. Scottish university income sources
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Government response AI summary
The government states that higher education in Scotland is largely a devolved responsibility and outlines its ongoing engagement with the Scottish Government. It also highlights its International Education Strategy and the Graduate Route to help universities diversify student recruitment, but does not address the unofficial …
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Scotland Office
22
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Audit Scotland found that although Scottish Government funding to the SFC for universities increased by 0.1% in cash terms from £1.116 billion in 2014–15 to £1.117 billion in 2017–18, this equated to a real terms reduction of 5%.38 Taken together with a 7% reduction between 2010–11 and 2014–15, this represented …
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Audit Scotland found that although Scottish Government funding to the SFC for universities increased by 0.1% in cash terms from £1.116 billion in 2014–15 to £1.117 billion in 2017–18, this equated to a real terms reduction of 5%.38 Taken together with a 7% reduction between 2010–11 and 2014–15, this represented a real terms reduction in Scottish Government funding of 12% over seven years.39 Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland, told us that with teaching funded at about 90% of the actual cost of provision for Scottish students, and with research projects typically funded at 80% or under of the cost of doing the project, universities are entirely reliant on entrepreneurial activity, principally international activity, to fill that gap and enable universities to do those things at the core of supporting the common good and the charitable mission.40 In the view of Professor James Conroy, University of Glasgow: 34 Audit Scotland, Finances of Scottish universities, September 2019, p 13 ‘Exhibit 2’ [Note: lighter shading indicates public funding] 35 The Scottish Parliament (Research Briefings), ‘The impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) on university funding In Scotland’, accessed 24 January 2021 36 Q60 37 Q60 38 Audit Scotland, Finances of Scottish universities, September 2019, para 21 39 Audit Scotland, Finances of Scottish universities, September 2019, para 21 40 Q2 Universities and Scotland 13 It is unsustainable to have fee levels where they are at the moment. To put it in perspective, in a previous incarnation I was dean of the faculty of education, where we got at the time £8,400 roughly per capita. It is £2,000 less today, and that is something like 12 years later. The present levels of funding are unsustainable to maintain a world-class university system.41
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Government response AI summary
The government states that higher education in Scotland is largely a devolved responsibility and emphasizes its continued engagement with the Scottish Government. It also highlights its International Education Strategy and the Graduate Route to help universities diversify income, but does not directly address the Scottish …
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Scotland Office
27
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
In the early months of the covid-19 pandemic there was a great deal of concern around the financial impact it would have on university finances. Concern was not only confined to the universities already struggling and with deficits and low levels of reserves pre- pandemic, but was also for the …
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In the early months of the covid-19 pandemic there was a great deal of concern around the financial impact it would have on university finances. Concern was not only confined to the universities already struggling and with deficits and low levels of reserves pre- pandemic, but was also for the traditionally more financially secure ‘ancient’ universities, due to their reliance on overseas students. Whilst a fall in international student tuition fee income would have a significant effect longer term, Universities Scotland identified that refunds given to students leaving university-owned accommodation in March 2020 was the most immediate cause of financial pressure.50 Although the outlook now looks stronger (as outlined in paragraph 32), a deficit of between £450 million and £500 million was initially expected for the higher education sector in Scotland in 2020–21.51 Financial interventions made by the UK and Scottish Governments in response to the pandemic
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Government response AI summary
The government's response reiterates that higher education is a devolved responsibility and emphasizes the importance of continuing close working relationships with the Scottish Government, without directly addressing the initial financial concerns and expected deficits for Scottish universities during the pandemic.
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Scotland Office
29
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
In terms of the impact of the UK Government interventions, and collaboration between the two Governments, we were told by Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, that: 66 HMG, UK Government to fund international Covid-19 studies in Scotland, 5 September 2020 67 “More mental health support for …
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In terms of the impact of the UK Government interventions, and collaboration between the two Governments, we were told by Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, that: 66 HMG, UK Government to fund international Covid-19 studies in Scotland, 5 September 2020 67 “More mental health support for students”, Scottish Government, 6 November 2020 68 “Extra funding for student associations”, Scottish Government, 11 December 2020 69 “Financial support for students”, Scottish Government, 23 December 2020 70 “Financial support for students”, Scottish Government, 23 December 2020 71 “Support for students in hardship”, Scottish Government, 26 January 2021 72 “Additional funding for FE and HE to help with COVID-19”, @ScotGovEdu, 16 February 2021 73 Scottish Funding Council, Additional funding for universities in FY 2020–21 (24 March 2021), p 4 18 Universities and Scotland My understanding—and we are collecting data on this—is that there has been a fairly low take-up on the [UK Government] loan schemes, but much more on the [UK-wide] job retention scheme. [ … ] We were part of the UK research sustainability taskforce. We were involved in UKRI’s costed grant extensions, which were very important to make sure that we were keeping some of the staff costs in universities stable.74
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Government response AI summary
The government's response reiterates that higher education is a devolved responsibility and emphasizes the importance of continuing close working relationships with the Scottish Government, without directly engaging with the committee's observations on the take-up rates of UK Government loan schemes.
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Scotland Office
30
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
We heard however from Professor Rebecca Lunn, University of Strathclyde, that each university had taken a different line on whether to furlough staff because the information coming out of UK Government departments and UKRI was “completely different for months”.75 She said that universities “were left in a complete lottery of …
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We heard however from Professor Rebecca Lunn, University of Strathclyde, that each university had taken a different line on whether to furlough staff because the information coming out of UK Government departments and UKRI was “completely different for months”.75 She said that universities “were left in a complete lottery of trying to make a risk-based judgment on which was the better thing to do as universities, and each university [had] done something different”.76 In her view the communication around the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was “unbelievably unclear”77 and it would have been “better if the Treasury and UKRI had had a conversation and come to an agreement about what advice to give to universities” as “they did eventually, but it took the best part of five months”.78 Professor Katherine Smith, University of Strathclyde, made similar points to us about the effectiveness of UK Government communications in relation to covid-19 interventions, telling us that: There has been a lot of unclear communication about who can apply or not and when it is best to apply and so on. For me, a key issue has been around communication and apparent shifts in the position of what you can and cannot do.79
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Government response AI summary
The government's response reiterates that higher education is a devolved responsibility and emphasizes the importance of continuing close working relationships with the Scottish Government, without directly addressing the criticism regarding unclear communication around the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
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Scotland Office
31
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Another criticism we heard of UK Government/UKRI support packages, including from Professor Chris Pearce, University of Glasgow,80 Professor Rebecca Lunn, University of Strathclyde81 and Mary Senior, University and College Union Scotland,82 was that they were too prescriptive and too tied to strict criteria, and that, given the circumstances, a more …
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Another criticism we heard of UK Government/UKRI support packages, including from Professor Chris Pearce, University of Glasgow,80 Professor Rebecca Lunn, University of Strathclyde81 and Mary Senior, University and College Union Scotland,82 was that they were too prescriptive and too tied to strict criteria, and that, given the circumstances, a more flexible approach would have been appropriate. Finances now and looking ahead
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Government response AI summary
The government's response reiterates that higher education is a devolved responsibility and emphasizes the importance of continuing close working relationships with the Scottish Government, without directly addressing the criticism that UK Government/UKRI support packages were too prescriptive.
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Scotland Office
38
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
In mid-2020 insolvency was a very real prospect facing a number of universities in Scotland. Both the UK and Scottish Governments should be congratulated on their efforts and significant financial investments into Scottish universities in response to the pandemic. It is quite possible that without that support, some institutions may …
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In mid-2020 insolvency was a very real prospect facing a number of universities in Scotland. Both the UK and Scottish Governments should be congratulated on their efforts and significant financial investments into Scottish universities in response to the pandemic. It is quite possible that without that support, some institutions may not have survived. We also welcome the commitment made by the Scottish Government that it will make every effort to ensure that no university becomes insolvent as a result of the pandemic. International student fees
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Government response AI summary
The government's response reiterates that higher education is a devolved responsibility and emphasizes the importance of continuing close working relationships with the Scottish Government, without directly addressing the committee's commendation or the Scottish Government's commitment regarding university insolvency.
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Scotland Office
56
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
For 2021–22, as EU students will now need to pay international student fees and immigration costs, Scottish universities were expecting in December 2020 an 80% drop in EU student numbers.132 However, UCAS data from 18 February 2021 shows that applications to Scottish universities by EU students for 2021–22 dropped by …
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For 2021–22, as EU students will now need to pay international student fees and immigration costs, Scottish universities were expecting in December 2020 an 80% drop in EU student numbers.132 However, UCAS data from 18 February 2021 shows that applications to Scottish universities by EU students for 2021–22 dropped by 40% (6,900 fewer applications), which is a similar to the rate of fall in England and Wales,133 and is much lower than the 80% fall many anticipated. Commenting on these statistics, Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland, said: The drop in EU student numbers is not as dramatic as many feared although we don’t know how this will impact individual universities and courses.134 Implications for Scottish university finances
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Government response AI summary
The government provided general statements about welcoming European students and promoting UK education but did not specifically address the committee's observations regarding the 40% drop in EU student applications to Scottish universities for 2021-22.
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Scotland Office
57
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Not only are the international student rates that EU students will now be paying to Scottish universities higher than the amount Scottish universities currently receive for EU students from SAAS, but they are also higher than the rates students from other parts of the UK pay to study in Scotland. …
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Not only are the international student rates that EU students will now be paying to Scottish universities higher than the amount Scottish universities currently receive for EU students from SAAS, but they are also higher than the rates students from other parts of the UK pay to study in Scotland. The exact rate varies by course and institution but, according to Professor Katherine Smith, will often be four to five times the rate it was previously.135 In addition to the international student fee income Scottish universities will now receive from EU students, Minister Lochhead has confirmed that the estimated £19 million of public funding that would have funded new EU entrants in 2021–22 will stay in the sector to fund places for additional Scottish students.136 This announcement has been broadly welcomed by the university sector.137 Non-financial benefits of EU students
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Government response AI summary
The government discusses its International Education Strategy, its targets for international student numbers, and existing global scholarship programmes, without directly addressing the changes in tuition fees for EU students in Scotland or the Scottish Government's funding decisions.
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Scotland Office
61
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Minister Lochhead told us that the Scottish Government are looking at how they can maintain a European presence on Scottish campuses and have given a commitment to look at the idea of extra scholarships targeted at European countries.146
Government response AI summary
The government described its overall international education strategy and existing global scholarship programmes that support international students across the UK, but did not specifically address the Scottish Government's intent to offer additional scholarships targeted at European countries.
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Scotland Office
64
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
As Matt Crilly, President of NUS Scotland, pointed out to us, an important factor is that the areas of the economy worst hit by the pandemic—particularly the hospitality sector—are the same areas of the economy that students typically rely on for their part- time work.149 In September 2020 there were …
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As Matt Crilly, President of NUS Scotland, pointed out to us, an important factor is that the areas of the economy worst hit by the pandemic—particularly the hospitality sector—are the same areas of the economy that students typically rely on for their part- time work.149 In September 2020 there were reports of students who were self-isolating “being forced to call security begging for food.”150 Student-led social media reports at another Scottish university stated that food packages delivered to certain self-isolating students were expired, whilst allergen and religious dietary requirements for other students were ignored.151 Reports elsewhere at Scottish universities suggested that ‘junk food’ was delivered to self-isolating students.152
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Scotland Office
65
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
In January 2021, we met with university students as part of an outreach event. Feedback from them included: “Even before the pandemic there were issues around the cost of living; student loan covers accommodation not food. The impact of the pandemic on this is that there are now even fewer …
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In January 2021, we met with university students as part of an outreach event. Feedback from them included: “Even before the pandemic there were issues around the cost of living; student loan covers accommodation not food. The impact of the pandemic on this is that there are now even fewer jobs available for students, especially in the hospitality sector.” “We have had difficulties accessing the computer hardware and software we need in order to complete degrees from home.” “The disabled student allowance is so hard to access that eligible people are not applying.” “For many PhD students our funding doesn’t include childcare or maternity leave.” 147 Scottish Parliament, COVID-19: Scotland’s colleges and universities (1 March 2021), p 3 148 Scottish Parliament, COVID-19: Scotland’s colleges and universities (1 March 2021), p 9 149 Q36 150 “Covid student chaos: Paying £30k a year and begging security for food”, BBC News, 29 September 2020 151 “Covid: Student anger over ‘junk’ food parcels in isolation”, BBC News, 11 October 2020; “Self-isolating Edinburgh students ‘going hungry’ as food delivered late”, The Scotsman, 29 September 2020 152 “Why students deserve better during this pandemic”, University of Stirling Newspaper, 14 October 2020 Universities and Scotland 29 “The cost of accommodation can be high for places we can’t use and can’t leave. Some universities have offered rebates for accommodation, but this doesn’t help students in private accommodation.” “Late announcements from the Government on lockdowns and restrictions have made matters worse.” “Working on laptops on beds is bad in so many aspects. Offered no help with homeworking.” “Mental health support has a long waiting list. This could be because everyone with a concern goes straight onto the list, rather than better triaging at an earlier stage to ensure that people are being directed to the right services.” Digital transition
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Scotland Office
66
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Commenting on the transition to digital working, Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, made the point to us that not all students are digital native and that “alongside whatever shifts we see, [the SFC] have to deal with digital literacy, both in staff and students, and the …
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Commenting on the transition to digital working, Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, made the point to us that not all students are digital native and that “alongside whatever shifts we see, [the SFC] have to deal with digital literacy, both in staff and students, and the whole issue of digital poverty. We cannot always assume that everybody has access to broadband, to the hardware and to the connections that are so needed”.153 Mental health
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Scotland Office
67
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Mental health has been flagged to us as a particular area of concern. We have heard that students tend to suffer poor mental health at higher rates than the rest of the adult population.154 Matt Crilly, President of NUS Scotland, told us that mental health waiting times at Scottish universities …
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Mental health has been flagged to us as a particular area of concern. We have heard that students tend to suffer poor mental health at higher rates than the rest of the adult population.154 Matt Crilly, President of NUS Scotland, told us that mental health waiting times at Scottish universities were “already too long” pre-covid and he saw “students waiting for months for an appointment to see a mental health specialist.”155 Research published by NUS Scotland in October 2020 found that, prior to the covid-19 pandemic, 53.86% of students seeking support waited more than one month and 20.84% of students waited more than three months.156
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Scotland Office
68
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Now, with the effects of covid-19, NUS Scotland have found that students’ mental health has further declined.157 For example, students in self-isolation, in halls of residence, trying to come to terms with where they are, what they are trying to do and who they are.158 Professor Rebecca Lunn, University of …
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Now, with the effects of covid-19, NUS Scotland have found that students’ mental health has further declined.157 For example, students in self-isolation, in halls of residence, trying to come to terms with where they are, what they are trying to do and who they are.158 Professor Rebecca Lunn, University of Strathclyde, told us that: With the pressure that the NHS is under, the mental health services in the NHS have shrunk and become almost non-existent in some areas. We have knowledge of people with things like eating disorders where there has been no support whatsoever during this crisis because areas of the NHS have not operated.159 153 Q74 154 Q55 155 Q55 156 Scottish Parliament, COVID-19: Scotland’s colleges and universities (1 March 2021), p 14 157 Scottish Parliament, COVID-19: Scotland’s colleges and universities (1 March 2021), p 14 158 Q93 159 Q130 30 Universities and Scotland Impact on academic staff
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Scotland Office
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Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland, told the Committee that the pandemic had also “been an incredibly difficult time for staff”.160 Dr Vicky Johnson stated that: [ … ] a lot of the senior management teams [ … ] are needing to spend a huge amount of time on protocols …
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Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland, told the Committee that the pandemic had also “been an incredibly difficult time for staff”.160 Dr Vicky Johnson stated that: [ … ] a lot of the senior management teams [ … ] are needing to spend a huge amount of time on protocols and how to deal with not only student isolation, but also staff are going above and beyond. You may notice, as we are looking more and more exhausted.161 Professor Katherine Smith, University of Strathclyde, also noted that academic staff did not have the training or qualifications to provide students with the mental health support they need.162 Government interventions
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Scotland Office
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Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, told us that: We have recognised that the pandemic is making life so difficult for many students. [ … ] we have been [ … ] working really hard with our colleges and universities to distribute discretionary hardship funds …
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Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, told us that: We have recognised that the pandemic is making life so difficult for many students. [ … ] we have been [ … ] working really hard with our colleges and universities to distribute discretionary hardship funds to make sure those most in need are able to access assistance. We announced £5 million to top up the existing funds just before Christmas [2020], and of course a few days ago we announced a further £30 million, which will be £10 million to help the universities, given that they have already offered students in halls of residences, in most cases, refunds or cancellations, which will lead to loss of income for universities. Also, £20 million will go direct to the institutions for topping up the hardship funds.163 In evidence to us about decisions made by the Scottish Government at the start of the university term in 2020, Minister Lochhead stated that: “I reiterate that we apologise to our students for what they went through last September, as we apologised at the time”.164
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Scotland Office
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Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
In terms of lessons learnt from 2020, the Minister went on to say: We set up a taskforce [ … ] to look at the hardship issues and hardship funds, and [ … ] we also want to set up another taskforce [ … ] to look at the impact …
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In terms of lessons learnt from 2020, the Minister went on to say: We set up a taskforce [ … ] to look at the hardship issues and hardship funds, and [ … ] we also want to set up another taskforce [ … ] to look at the impact of the lockdown on educational outcomes and the ability to complete the learner journey, because we might have to put extra measures in place. The universities and colleges will have to do this, not the Government per se, but we are working with the agencies and the institutions to see what has to be done to make sure that students who have not been able to have the face-to-face teaching that is necessary for their qualifications are still able to qualify.165 160 Q15 161 Q14 162 Q131 163 Q181 164 Q224 165 Q230 Universities and Scotland 31
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Scotland Office
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Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
On 25 February 2021, the Scottish Government announced an additional £4.4million to provide further mental health and wellbeing services to college students and staff as they deal with the impact of the pandemic, but this funding was not made available to university students.166
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On 25 February 2021, the Scottish Government announced an additional £4.4million to provide further mental health and wellbeing services to college students and staff as they deal with the impact of the pandemic, but this funding was not made available to university students.166
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Scotland Office
73
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Students in Scotland, as with so many groups, faced unprecedented challenges over the course of the pandemic. Whilst we welcome the investments the Scottish Government has made in student wellbeing and mental health during this period, we have heard evidence of structural underfunding that predated the pandemic, long waiting lists …
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Students in Scotland, as with so many groups, faced unprecedented challenges over the course of the pandemic. Whilst we welcome the investments the Scottish Government has made in student wellbeing and mental health during this period, we have heard evidence of structural underfunding that predated the pandemic, long waiting lists and poor triaging of mental health inquiries. This is, in turn, pushing the provision of student mental health support onto academic staff, many of whom report facing challenges of their own, and may not be appropriately trained. The Scottish Government should look again at the provision of mental health services to university students, including by reviewing current triaging processes related to mental health inquiries, to ensure that students are being quickly directed to the appropriate services and support providers. The Scottish Government should also consider whether further investment may be needed in order to shorten mental health support waiting lists for university students (in the same way it has recently done for college students and staff through an additional £4.4 million of mental health support), thereby also reducing pressures on higher education academic staff. International students Benefits to UK and Scottish students
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Scotland Office
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Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
In oral evidence Minister Lochhead also expressed concerns to us about the UK Government’s motivations behind the decision to withdraw from Erasmus+: I am suspicious that the UK Government felt the Erasmus scheme was symbolic of close ties with Europe. Therefore, Brexit is Brexit, and they unfortunately committed this vandalism …
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In oral evidence Minister Lochhead also expressed concerns to us about the UK Government’s motivations behind the decision to withdraw from Erasmus+: I am suspicious that the UK Government felt the Erasmus scheme was symbolic of close ties with Europe. Therefore, Brexit is Brexit, and they unfortunately committed this vandalism by removing us from Erasmus to go for the alternative global scheme because it was too European. I was unaware, up until the UK Government walked away from Erasmus, that there were any problems with Erasmus. We were assured that the No. 1 priority, up until the last moment, was full participation in Erasmus. If it was a value for money issue, surely they knew that over the last few years. They must have worked that out, I would have thought, and estimated how much it would have cost us to maintain participation in Erasmus.216
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Government response AI summary
The government's response focused on continued funding and development of the Turing Scheme, but did not address Minister Lochhead's concerns about the UK Government's motivations for withdrawing from Erasmus+.
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Scotland Office
112
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Dr Stuart Fancey, Director of Research and Innovation, Scottish Funding Council, told us that both the sources of research funding, and the scale of research activity, varied “enormously” across Scottish universities.250 He told us that the Scottish Funding Council provides about a quarter of funding for the sector, with UKRI …
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Dr Stuart Fancey, Director of Research and Innovation, Scottish Funding Council, told us that both the sources of research funding, and the scale of research activity, varied “enormously” across Scottish universities.250 He told us that the Scottish Funding Council provides about a quarter of funding for the sector, with UKRI providing about another quarter, with the remainder coming from a variety of sources including charities and businesses.251 Research-intensive universities usually need to increase income from other sources, such as attracting international students, to cover their research costs. As stated earlier in the report, according to Audit Scotland, in 2016–17, universities recovered, on 244 Further information on the Ministerial taskforce on research sustainability 245 Secretary of State at the Scotland Office (USC0011) 246 Q18 247 Q96 248 Q100 249 Q100 250 Q64 251 Q64 44 Universities and Scotland average, 138% of the cost of non-publicly funded teaching and 144% of the cost of non- teaching activities (such as commercial activities, residences and conferences), in order to subsidise academic research.252
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Government response AI summary
The government's response details its processes for appointing a balanced UKRI Board and its engagement with Devolved Administrations, but does not address the committee's observations regarding the varied funding sources for Scottish universities or their reliance on cross-subsidisation of academic research.
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Scotland Office
113
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
According to Audit Scotland, the formula-based funding models for the core grants for teaching and research are “widely accepted” by the sector because they provide “transparency, understanding and are perceived by the sector to be fair.”253 However, when the Scottish Funding Council carried out a review with Scotland’s universities to …
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According to Audit Scotland, the formula-based funding models for the core grants for teaching and research are “widely accepted” by the sector because they provide “transparency, understanding and are perceived by the sector to be fair.”253 However, when the Scottish Funding Council carried out a review with Scotland’s universities to determine the most pressing financial issues facing the sector, some argued that “maintaining the world-leading position of Scotland’s more research-intensive institutions will need to be explicitly recognised and supported as a strategic priority if we are to continue to make such a huge impact for our relative size as a country”.254 Professor Tim Bedford, University of Strathclyde, told us that the standard practice is that universities get 80% of full economic costs on UKRI-funded research.255 On whether this figure should increase, especially in light of covid-19, he told us that: I think most universities would certainly say that it should increase beyond 80%, because it is so difficult to fill the other part of that. I do not think any of us would be particularly comfortable if it were to be 100%, full economic costs, because that would effectively make us consulting organisations for the Government. I think the academic freedom, the freedom of the universities to decide their research agendas and to follow those agendas, is a great strength, not only for the universities but for the UK as a whole.256 Effect of covid-19 on research funding
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Government response AI summary
The government's response focuses on UKRI board appointments and engagement with devolved administrations, which does not address the conclusion about funding models, cost recovery rates, or the debate around increasing the 80% full economic cost for UKRI-funded research.
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Scotland Office
122
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Iain Stewart MP, Minister for Scotland, told us that that Scottish universities were “punching way above their weight” in terms of receipt of UKRI funding.283 He went on to say that “Scotland’s approximate share of the UK is 8% in terms of population or economic GDP, but through UKRI funding …
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Iain Stewart MP, Minister for Scotland, told us that that Scottish universities were “punching way above their weight” in terms of receipt of UKRI funding.283 He went on to say that “Scotland’s approximate share of the UK is 8% in terms of population or economic GDP, but through UKRI funding Scottish universities get 13%”.284 However, the National Audit Office report on the UKRI Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, from February 2021, found that “the Fund is unevenly spread across the UK with the majority being provided to the West Midlands, South East and London”.285 It found that only 6.5% of the funding went to Scotland, compared to 44.2%286 going to London and the South East of England.287 In relation to this the RSE Young Academy of Scotland told us that “Scotland emerges as an area which has not received the support it deserves, with historically poor success in Industrial Strategy Challenge Funds.”288
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Government response AI summary
The government describes its process for appointing a balanced UKRI Board and its engagement mechanisms, but fails to address the committee's finding about Scotland's historically poor success and low share of the UKRI Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
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Scotland Office
124
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Other criticisms of UKRI funding brought to our attention included, from Dr Vicky Johnson, University of the Highlands, that its “money tends to go to the older universities, and not the post-1992s or the very new universities”.290 Also, from Professor James Conroy, University of Glasgow, that “everything is not sewn …
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Other criticisms of UKRI funding brought to our attention included, from Dr Vicky Johnson, University of the Highlands, that its “money tends to go to the older universities, and not the post-1992s or the very new universities”.290 Also, from Professor James Conroy, University of Glasgow, that “everything is not sewn together quite as well as it 279 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UKRI Framework Document, May 2018, p 33 280 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UKRI Framework Document, May 2018, p 33 281 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UKRI Framework Document, May 2018, p 33 282 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UKRI Framework Document, May 2018, p 19 283 Q257 284 Q257 285 National Audit Office, UK Research and Innovation’s management of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, 5 February 2021, p 30 286 London = 17%, South East England = 27.2% (National Audit Office, UK Research and Innovation’s management of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, 5 February 2021, p 30) 287 National Audit Office, UK Research and Innovation’s management of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, 5 February 2021, p 30 288 RSE Young Academy of Scotland (USC0006) p 6 289 Q257 290 Q9 48 Universities and Scotland might be” as “UKRI is supposed to be bringing everything together, but it still feels like separate research councils under an umbrella organisation.”291 Furthermore, the RSE Young Academy of Scotland told us that: Research funding allocated by UKRI also appears biased by gender, ethnicity and age; funding success rates are systematically lower for women; in engineering and physical sciences, the gap deepens as grants get larger, with the difference in success rates even greater (over 10%) between white and black and other minority ethnic groups investigators. This is a particular threat for Scottish universities, when funding diversity and inclusivity is essential to foster innovation, growth and
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Government response AI summary
The government describes its process for appointing a balanced UKRI Board and its mechanisms for engaging with Devolved Administrations and stakeholders to understand the UK R&D landscape, but does not address the specific criticisms about funding bias towards older universities or based on gender, ethnicity, …
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Scotland Office
129
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Minister Stewart also made the point that the UK Government has established, between the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, a Ministerial Taskforce looking at the sustainability of research funding.303 The Minister pointed out that Richard Lochhead MSP was a member of that Taskforce …
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Minister Stewart also made the point that the UK Government has established, between the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, a Ministerial Taskforce looking at the sustainability of research funding.303 The Minister pointed out that Richard Lochhead MSP was a member of that Taskforce and so there was “direct [Scottish Government] input into looking at the broad future of research funding”.304
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Government response AI summary
The government's response details UKRI board appointment processes and the structure of Research England within UKRI, failing to address the observation about Scottish Government input into a Ministerial Taskforce on research funding.
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Scotland Office
140
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Scottish academic research also has great success internationally. The RSE Young Academy of Scotland told us that Scotland’s researchers publish extensively outside Scotland (89% Scotland vs UK 72%) through “high impact collaborations”.330 Professor Chris Pearce, University of Glasgow, also noted that: [ … ] with less than 0.1% of the …
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Scottish academic research also has great success internationally. The RSE Young Academy of Scotland told us that Scotland’s researchers publish extensively outside Scotland (89% Scotland vs UK 72%) through “high impact collaborations”.330 Professor Chris Pearce, University of Glasgow, also noted that: [ … ] with less than 0.1% of the global population, Scotland has 2% of the world’s most highly cited research outputs and 1% of the world’s most highly cited authors. Relative to the size of our population, this is better than the rest of the UK and better than high-performing countries such as Germany and the Netherlands. This pattern is also seen in the number of papers that we publish with international co-authors, demonstrating that Scotland has an internationally connected and collaborative research community.331
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Government response AI summary
The government's response described the appointment process for the UKRI Board, how devolved nation experience is considered, and the integration of Research England, but did not directly address the committee's observation regarding the international success and collaborative nature of Scottish academic research.
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Scotland Office
141
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Rachel Sandison, University of Glasgow, told us that Scottish international research is a powerful tool for international collaboration and connections, with 57% of publications currently involving international collaboration, so “ensuring that the framework exists to allow that success to continue is going to be absolutely mission critical”.332 The Scottish Government …
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Rachel Sandison, University of Glasgow, told us that Scottish international research is a powerful tool for international collaboration and connections, with 57% of publications currently involving international collaboration, so “ensuring that the framework exists to allow that success to continue is going to be absolutely mission critical”.332 The Scottish Government website lists some of Scotland’s major current international research collaborations.333 324 Q137 325 Universities Scotland, ‘Internationalisation is top of the agenda for Scottish universities’, accessed 26 April 2021 326 Universities Scotland, Internationally Scottish - Creating global communities (July 2020) 327 RSE Young Academy of Scotland (USC0006) p 2 328 RSE Young Academy of Scotland (USC0006) p 3 329 Universities Scotland, Internationally Scottish - Creating global communities (July 2020), p 10 330 RSE Young Academy of Scotland (USC0006) p 3 331 Q94 332 Q175 333 Scottish Government, ‘Science and research: University research’, accessed 26 April 2021 54 Universities and Scotland UK immigration policy: international research collaboration
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Government response AI summary
The government's response details UKRI board appointment processes and the structure of Research England within UKRI, but does not address the committee's observation about ensuring a framework for continued Scottish international research collaboration.
Read full response →
Scotland Office
142
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
On UK immigration and visa policies, and the implications these have on academic research in Scotland, Minister Lochhead told us that the Scottish Government was working with the UK Government to make it easier for international researchers to come to Scotland, in particular to look at extending the validity of …
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On UK immigration and visa policies, and the implications these have on academic research in Scotland, Minister Lochhead told us that the Scottish Government was working with the UK Government to make it easier for international researchers to come to Scotland, in particular to look at extending the validity of some visas beyond the current 90-day limit.334
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Government response AI summary
The government's response focused solely on justifying UK visa fees and keeping them under review, failing to address the stated concern about extending visa validity for international researchers or collaboration with the Scottish Government on this issue.
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Scotland Office
147
Recommendation
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Scottish universities are inherently international institutions; international collaborations play a big part in their successes. In addition, Scottish universities act as much-valued international hubs in their local communities, bringing important cultural benefits. Scottish universities’ internationalisation agenda should therefore be supported. The UK Government has a major role to play in …
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Scottish universities are inherently international institutions; international collaborations play a big part in their successes. In addition, Scottish universities act as much-valued international hubs in their local communities, bringing important cultural benefits. Scottish universities’ internationalisation agenda should therefore be supported. The UK Government has a major role to play in this in terms of how it develops its foreign and immigration policies. The UK Government should be praised for introducing the post-study work visa, which plays a key role in attracting, and then retaining, the brightest and best students from overseas. The Global Talent visa is also very welcome, but its cost should be addressed. Wellcome has highlighted that, for an international academic with a spouse and children to move to the UK, it would cost around £13,000 for visas (and associated costs) to work in the UK under a five-year Global Talent visa, compared to around £1,000 in France. In order to allow Scotland to remain competitive and attractive to the best international research talent, who can bring so much to our economy and society, the UK Government should reduce the cost of visas for international researchers and their families, to a level competitive with countries such as France. If the UK Government decides not to reduce the cost of the Global Talent visa (and associated costs for the families of ‘lead’ applicants), the UK Government should seek to justify the reasons for these high fees in comparison to other countries. The UK Government should also take a pragmatic approach to researcher visa extensions, especially in light of covid-19, which has caused unavoidable delays to some research projects. Role of EU nationals in Scottish academic research
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Government response AI summary
The government's response for this item explicitly addresses recommendation 151 (ID 19691), rather than the recommendation to reduce the cost of visas for international researchers, justify high fees, or take a pragmatic approach to extensions.
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Scotland Office
148
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
As our predecessor Committee noted in its Report on Immigration and Scotland, in 2018, EU citizens make up around 17% of academic staff and 25% of research staff at Scottish universities.345 During our inquiry witnesses spoke to us about how “vulnerable” this makes the research sector in Scotland following the …
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As our predecessor Committee noted in its Report on Immigration and Scotland, in 2018, EU citizens make up around 17% of academic staff and 25% of research staff at Scottish universities.345 During our inquiry witnesses spoke to us about how “vulnerable” this makes the research sector in Scotland following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.346 Professor Tim Bedford, University of Strathclyde, noted that: If you look at the proportion of people who are working in high-value, knowledge-based functions in our industries, a large proportion of those people have come into the country from Europe in particular. They have come through doing courses, potentially going on to PhDs, then staying in the country, adding talent and creating wealth for the nation. There is a real risk that, if we do not manage this transition very carefully, there will be a break and the flow outwards of talent to other international centres will continue. If we block off the stream of talent that is coming in, there is a danger of a brain drain over the next 10 years, which would have potentially disastrous consequences.347 344 Wellcome, Priorities for the 2020 Spending Review (September 2020), p 5 345 Scottish Affairs Committee, Fourth Report of Session 2017–19, Immigration and Scotland, HC 488, para 15 346 For example: Q94 347 Q139 56 Universities and Scotland
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Government response AI summary
The government's response for this item explicitly addresses recommendation 151 (ID 19691), rather than the committee's conclusion about the vulnerability of the research sector in Scotland to a potential 'brain drain' of EU academics.
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Scotland Office
150
Conclusion
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Not Addressed
Iain Stewart MP, Minister for Scotland, told us that what underpins the UK Government’s “strategy is to maintain good links with Europe, with our partners and friends, trading partners and academic links”—he “absolutely” wanted that to continue.351 That said, he also noted that: Whether it is the Turing scheme or …
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Iain Stewart MP, Minister for Scotland, told us that what underpins the UK Government’s “strategy is to maintain good links with Europe, with our partners and friends, trading partners and academic links”—he “absolutely” wanted that to continue.351 That said, he also noted that: Whether it is the Turing scheme or some of the other research and development that we want to see, I am absolutely convinced that Scotland’s best interest is as part of that global British ambition and not just limited to the borders of Europe.352
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Government response AI summary
The government's response for this item explicitly addresses recommendation 151 (ID 19691), rather than the committee's conclusion regarding Minister Stewart's statements on maintaining links with Europe versus a global British ambition.
Read full response →
Scotland Office