Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 121
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)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).272 Its main purpose is to “invest in and facilitate research and innovation activities across the United Kingdom, and, through Research England, directly support higher education providers in England to carry out research and knowledge exchange activities.”273 Its funding decisions are “made independently from Government” and are made “through independent evaluation by experts, based on the quality and likely impact of that research”.274 The Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy is however “accountable to Parliament for UKRI business and retains the publicly accountable role for overarching policy”.275 In terms of governance: • The UKRI Board is its “primary governing body”.276 It has general oversight of UKRI’s activities and is responsible for achieving UKRI’s strategic objective and vision. The Board is made up of UKRI’s Chair, Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer, as well as between 9 and 12 independent members drawn from higher education, industry and commerce, policy, and charities and other non- governmental organisations.277 Board members are appointed by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.278 270 “Cuts to ODA funding undermines UK’s “Global Britain” agenda”, Universities Scotland, 26 March 2021 271 House of Commons Library, ‘Spending Review: Reducing the 0.7% aid commitment’, accessed 19 April 2021 272 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UKRI Framework Document, May 2018, p 6 273 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UKRI Framework Document, May 2018, p 6 274 UKRI, ‘Our relationship with the government’, accessed 20 April 2021 275 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UKRI Framework Document, May 2018, p 16 276 UKRI, ‘UKRI Board’, accessed 20 April 2021 277 UKRI, ‘UKRI Board’, accessed 20 April 2021 27
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".