The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 2095 contributions
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 31 October 2023
Willie Coffey
Good morning. Can you offer a few thoughts on the issue of the wild camping and motorhome fraternity throughout Europe? You will have heard lots of discussion at committee, both today and last week, about that particular issue and the fact that such visitors would not be subject to the levy and that it would indeed be very difficult to apply it to them. What happens in Europe with regard to campers and motorhome users? Do they pay a visitor levy? How does that work?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
I want to follow up the questions that Colin Beattie posed about the potential for commercial income. What is the colleges’ relationship—if any—with the European Union now and what will it be going forward? Stephen Boyle will know that they used to benefit from European social fund money and so on. Was that ever replaced in any way, shape or form? What is preventing Scotland’s colleges from continuing to develop even a commercial relationship with the European Union?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
I have a final question on Ayrshire College. Auditor General, you cite the residual private finance initiative payments that the college is still making. As I understand it, it still pays £2 million a year to pay off the PFI investment from about 23 years ago. Is that still contained in the college’s financial projections? Will it be part of the forecast scenario going forward?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
Good morning, Auditor General. I want to open up a bit of discussion on the Ayrshire College commentary that is in your briefing. There is almost a doomsday scenario potential forecast in there that would worry everyone in the sector—it would worry everyone in Ayrshire—but the college principal has subsequently ruled that forecast out and has not adopted that forecasting. She has written to members to clarify that.
Could you give us a flavour of where these forecasts come from and who scrutinises their viability? Do they follow criteria set by the SFC? Why are not all the colleges doing what Ayrshire College and Glasgow Kelvin College have done?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
Well, I am.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
Ayrshire College is the only one that still carries a PFI burden, as I understand it. That has had a substantial impact on the college over many years. Thank you very much for answering those questions.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
Okay. Fine. Thank you.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
When will the Scottish Funding Council review the forecasts? When will we get some clarity or even certainty on the matter?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
It will surely have to form part of the projections if the college faces a £2 million burden up to 2025. I imagine that it will still have to be captured within this scenario as well.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 26 October 2023
Willie Coffey
Ayrshire College is the only college in Scotland that still has a live PFI liability.