Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Higher Education

Wednesday 23 April 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Questions on Higher Education took place on 2025-04-23
  • Dr Scott Arthur raised concerns about the state of the university sector in Scotland, highlighting job losses and funding cuts affecting Scottish students
  • Stephen Gethins inquired about Labour's progress in addressing challenges in Scotland's higher education sector impacted by migration policies

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Scott Arthur Lab Edinburgh South West
Education Scotland
Context

The university sector in Scotland is experiencing a crisis with job losses and course closures due to funding cuts since 2013. Scottish students are facing limited access to university places as the government prioritizes international student recruitment.

Question

The university sector in Scotland has never been in a worse state, with job losses being contemplated across the whole sector. Too many young Scots miss out on university places because of funding cuts and reliance on recruiting international students with lower qualifications. Does the Secretary of State agree that Scotland’s young people must be supported and the university sector fully funded?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Scotland (Ian Murray)

I thank my hon. Friend for his question and for what he does to support higher education in Scotland. Labour has committed to ensuring that Scottish students from all backgrounds can access university, which can only be achieved with a new funding settlement that protects our world-leading universities and gives any Scottish student who wants to pursue university the opportunity to do so.

Answered
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Q2 Stephen Gethins SNP North East Fife
Immigration Education Scotland
Context

The higher education sector in Scotland has faced significant financial impacts due to Westminster policies such as the national insurance increase, Brexit, and the hostile environment policy. These factors have particularly affected institutions like Dundee University.

Question

Will the Secretary of State let us know what progress he has made on his commitment by Scottish Labour to address challenges in Scotland’s higher education sector impacted by migration policies?

Answer from Ian Murray (Secretary of State for Scotland)

The Secretary of State reiterated that the Scottish Government is responsible for funding higher education in Scotland, and criticised the SNP for blaming Westminster instead of taking responsibility. He stated that work is ongoing within government to establish a new framework linking Skills England, Migration Advisory Committee, Industrial Strategy Council, and Department for Work and Pensions to identify workforce shortages and skills strategies for future needs. The Secretary also highlighted an overreliance on international recruitment and the need to address issues such as one in six young people not being in education, employment or training.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary of State did not provide specific progress updates related to Scottish Labour's commitment to higher education sector migration policies but instead discussed broader government initiatives and criticisms towards the SNP.

How: Blaming, Denial

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