Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 95
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)
The Welsh Government is similarly disappointed that the UK is no longer participating in the Erasmus+ scheme and, as a result, has begun developing its own scheme called the ‘New International Learning Exchange’ to “fill the gaps Turing leaves”.220 A fundamental principle of the programme will be reciprocity: a two-way exchange.221 Whilst the UK Government has allocated £110m for the first year of the Turing Scheme (UK-wide), the Welsh Government is allocating £65m between 2022 and 2026.222 According to the Welsh Government, students and staff across universities, further education, adult education, 214 “Erasmus loss ‘a huge blow’”, Scottish Government, 28 December 2020 215 “Erasmus loss ‘a huge blow’”, Scottish Government, 28 December 2020 216 Q202 217 Q199 & Q180 218 Q236 219 Q236 220 “New International Learning Exchange programme to make good the loss of Erasmus+”, Welsh Government, 21 March 2021 221 “New International Learning Exchange programme to make good the loss of Erasmus+”, Welsh Government, 21 March 2021 222 “New International Learning Exchange programme to make good the loss of Erasmus+”, Welsh Government, 21 March 2021 Universities and Scotland 39 youth work settings and schools will be able to “benefit from international exchanges in a similar way to the opportunities that flowed from Erasmus+, not just in Europe but also further afield”.223 UK Government position on Erasmus+ and Turing
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".