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I do not recognise what Karen Watt said about there being an increase in funding in recent years. Back in 2011, 2012 and 2013, there was a massive reduction in college funding. What baseline are you using when you talk about an increase?

Do you think that the figure of 25 per cent might be right for his college?

Can I come back in after, convener?

Shona Struthers, would you like to come in?

I assume that you speak to the Government about this.

I am intrigued by some of your language. It sounds as though you are delegating to the regional board the responsibility for leading the reform. Tell me that that is not the case. Are you leading this work or is the board leading it?

You may have heard the evidence earlier about student homelessness and a shortage of accommodation, staff pay, pensions, short-term contracts, staff ratios and huge stress. Now we hear that we have massive cross-subsidy, which is greater than it is in England, where the funding from international students helps with research. Here, it helps with Scottish students. Is it not a little bit complacent to say that the sector is thriving when we have heard that pretty dark story this morning?

Is it free?

I was impressed with those answers to Mr Dey’s questions. Our witnesses are quite right to put him in his place. It is up to the Government, not the union representatives, to come up with the answers to these things.

The situation does not seem to be very happy. This morning, you have talked about homelessness, a shortage of student accommodation and very expensive student accommodation. We have talked about severe problems with student finance, staff pay, staff pensions, staff contracts and staff ratios. This is quite a dark place for universities to be in. We have prided ourselves on having some of the best universities not just in Britain but across the world. Do you think that that status is under threat if these issues are not resolved?

Karen Watt, you have said on a number of occasions that the universities would come to a view and make an assessment about their exposure to international students. Do they have a choice? When funding over the 10-year period has been cut or will fall by 37 per cent and when student places in Scottish universities are underfunded by between £4,000 to £7,000, depending on the course, do they really have a choice? Do they not have to do this to survive?