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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 7 January 2025
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Displaying 1830 contributions

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Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

We have had 16 years of the SNP’s record on this and the number studying has gone from 354,000 to 236,000, which is a 33 per cent reduction. That is a hatchet job on the capacity of the college sector.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

You are resorting to answer A again.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

What is the total cost of the teachers’ pay settlement for 2023-24?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

Therefore, my question to the minister is, where is the rest coming from?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

That is a lot of money, minister. Where is it actually coming from?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

So, I mean—

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

These are facts.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

You can tell from the tone of my voice that I will do so.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

The Scottish Conservatives’ position on that, as you well know—I do not want to have it mischaracterised—is that we also support paid tuition fees. However, we understand that issues arise with those. When someone like Sir Peter—who is widely respected not only in Scotland or the United Kingdom but throughout the world—raises issues around other ways in which Scottish students might be able to get university places, we think it worth having a calm and considered debate. I am glad that you have done so, but when I heard the First Minister’s response I thought that perhaps he had not read the article. He immediately shut down the argument.

None of us is saying that there should not be paid tuition; we are saying that we should look at other ways in which we can expand revenue streams for Scottish universities. I am not saying that that should involve Scottish families paying tuition fees for their sons and daughters to go to Scottish universities, but if it did, that can only be a good thing, surely.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Universities and Colleges Funding 2023-24

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Stephen Kerr

That would not make sense—no.