Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 25
First Report - Universities and Scotland
Published 28 May 2021
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Universities and Scotland All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Audit Scotland also highlighted that six of Scotland’s universities had reported deficits every year since 2014–15; more than half of all Scottish universities were in deficit in 2017–18; and that the position was worse in 2018 than in 2014–15 for most modern and chartered universities.45 They found that this was due to various factors including sustained reductions in SFC funding (outlined further in paragraph 22), increased contributions to pension schemes (up to £23 million extra per year), the effects of EU withdrawal and major estate maintenance requirements.46 Audit Scotland found that, in July 2018, universities estimated that the total value of outstanding estate maintenance requirements was equivalent to 25% of annual income across the sector.47 The Scottish university estate is large and diverse. There are 1,856 buildings throughout Scotland, in 146 locations. [ … ] 6% of the estate was built before 1840 and 24% between 1840 and 1959. The value of the estate is just over £5 billion, with Edinburgh having 33% (£1.7 billion) of the total value.48
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, First Report - Universities and Scotland (HC 54), 28 May 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 April 2022 (deadline 28 July 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response sets out continued work with the devolved administrations and existing UK-wide policies on international students, immigration, research funding and talent, and states it will submit a response to the earlier Immigration and Scotland report "shortly".
- On the Turing Scheme, it confirmed funding for three years, including "£110 million for the 2022/23 Academic Year". It states the scheme "prioritises pupils, students and learners over staff and inward mobility funding", and says the first year's impact will be evaluated.
- On Erasmus+, it states that President Von Der Leyen "has previously confirmed that association by part of a country is not legally possible".
- On UKRI, it states that Board appointees "are not recruited to represent any constituency, sector or regional grouping", while a legal requirement to have regard to research conditions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is taken into account. It says Research England's place on the Executive Committee reflects its status as a legal component of UKRI.
- On visa costs, it states that "UK visa fees are broadly in line with our competitors" and that it will "continue to keep visa fees under review".