Chamber and committees

I presume that the Welsh Government made different budgetary choices. Why did the Scottish Government not choose to fund its manifesto commitment on the issue?

According to what YouthLink Scotland and others said last week, conversations on the issue ceased in the middle of last year. If the Government is really intent on finding out what the issues are, I am afraid that I cannot understand what is taking it this length of time. Is the Government simply waiting and saying, “We want full Erasmus+ after independence,” or are you genuinely going to try to do something?

Thank you for your opening statement, minister, and for joining us this morning. It is appreciated.

I am still really struggling to understand why we are in a situation where 6,000 students in Wales have participated in an exchange programme across 95 countries but the Scottish Government is only piloting a project, which might not even start until the end of this financial year.

But the Opposition in this situation is calling for exactly the same thing as the Government. I feel like we could go round in circles on that particular question.

I will move on.

In relation to the conversation that you had with Universities Scotland and the pilot project, you said that you are looking to find the gaps in Turing and to look particularly at youth work. Last week, we heard extensive evidence on the gaps in Turing and the value of youth work. Do you not have enough information to simply start?

That is a pilot, not a replacement.

Not now, no.

Yes. Minister, what feedback have you had from college principals following the letter that you sent to them about their responsibilities on fair work?

We previously got four different answers to the question of what that money was for, so I do not think that that was particularly clear.

What engagement have you had with colleges on the impact of the redundancies? Who is losing their job? Is it lecturers who work on additional support courses, for example? Do they deliver courses on areas where we need skills in Scotland? Have you had any engagement whatsoever with colleges on that?

With respect, it is not for the Opposition to tell the Government how to fund its own manifesto.