Chamber and committees

I appreciate that. I suspect that it might be about recruitment issues or geographical issues. I expect that you will get back a whole host of reasons, which will be interesting. However, where the money was given to local authorities and they did not maintain the numbers, are you also asking whether they deployed it to the education budget to address some of the other challenges that we have already discussed?

It is just a brief supplementary, convener.

When I speak to colleges, they tell me that, in order to make efficiencies through reform, they might need some additional funding up front. However, there is nothing for that in the budget. How do you think that colleges will be able to make those efficiencies in the long term without that funding?

Maybe I can help the cabinet secretary out about the projections for next year, because if, according to the budget, £28 million is to come out of universities, the chances are that there will be 3,800 fewer students next year than there were this year. I find that intolerable, and I hope that the cabinet secretary does, too.

The Government’s detailed analysis of the budget says:

“Changes in the college and HE resource budgets risk reducing education and skills training opportunities for young people, and for older people seeking to upskill.”

How does that meet the principle of opportunity and equality?

I can help with that. The figure that you have given for the Covid increase is 1,200, but removing those places saves only £5 million. Universities have £28 million to save, so if we make the comparison, we see that there will be another 2,600 fewer students next year. That means that, because of Government cuts, fewer Scottish students will be able to study at Scottish universities.

It was your Government’s commitment.

Thank you, cabinet secretary. If that is the answer about breakfasts, I think that headteachers in schools across the country will be asking, “How many times do you want me to spend my PEF?”

I will move to my final question, if that is all right.

Of course.

No problem at all, convener. When we were discussing breakfasts and free school meals, I was mindful that my colleague had a question on it, so that is fine.

My next question is about teachers in schools. It is fair to say that, in the same way that headteachers will be asking, “How many times do you want me to spend my PEF?”, local authorities will be asking, “How many times do you want us to spend our budget?”, given how tight it is.

In an answer to me on teacher numbers, the cabinet secretary said that, if the national average pupil teacher ratio rose above 13.7, she would look to claw back some funding from local authorities. The national average is currently 13.2, but local authorities have already said that they are fearful that they will have to give some money back, and 15 local authorities have not met their targets. Will the cabinet secretary clarify the position on that and set out in clear terms whether she expects any local authorities to have to return funds that have been allocated for that purpose?

I appreciate that, but, in your answer to me, you said that, while the national average pupil teacher ratio remained below 13.7, you would not claw back funding. It is 13.2. Will local authorities have to give the money back or not?

So, you will not look at the national ratio, which is what you said in your answer that you would do.