Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 80
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)
Richard Lochhead MSP, Scottish Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, told us that: We do work with the UK Government, and the UK Government have been speaking to us. There will be lots more discussions because these are the very early stages of post-Brexit Britain, so we will continue to work with the UK Government on what they can do to support us. [ … ] What is important to me is that the Scottish brand is protected, because we have a very powerful 184 Q45 185 Scottish Affairs Committee, Fourth Report of Session 2017–19, Immigration and Scotland, HC 488, paras 91–92 186 Q42 187 HMG, ‘Graduate route to open to international students on 1 July 2021’, accessed 13 April 2021 188 HMG, ‘Graduate route to open to international students on 1 July 2021’, accessed 13 April 2021 189 HMG, ‘UK announces 2-year post-study work visa for international students’, accessed 13 April 2021 190 Q48 191 Scottish Affairs Committee, Fourth Report of Session 2017–19, Immigration and Scotland, HC 488, para 98 192 Cabinet Office, Giving evidence to Select Committees: Guidance for Civil Servants, October 2014, para 68 34 Universities and Scotland brand for Scottish higher education. It is really important that we maintain the brand. Yes, we are open to working with the UK Government on that, of course.193 [ … ] The issue we have discussed so far [with the UK Government] is making sure that Scottish education is attractive, and the immigration system, the visa costs, all these issues are very, very important. Making it easy for researchers and students to come here, and not more expensive compared with going to another European country or elsewhere. That is where we really need the UK Government’s help to make sure that our institutions are seen as attractive.194
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".