Chamber and committees

A number of colleges would recognise that but, generally, part of the problem is that they have faced such significant cuts over the past decade at least that they are now struggling very much to even attract any training opportunities from employers in their communities, because they do not have the capacity. One of the suggestions to help colleges was to reduce their credits by about 10 per cent without being punished. However, in effect, that is reducing the opportunities for students and the likelihood of delivering skills and capacity in a college to meet local demand, so I do not see how it is possible for colleges to do what you have said in the situation that they face right now, which you will know has been described as a bit of a “burning platform”.

Do I have time for one more question?

Yes—of course.

I have a question on the flexibilities and the demand-led budget lines. I think that approximately £6 million will come out of the student support budget on the basis of it not being used last year on the demand-led line—that is what we saw at the beginning of the process. Is it not a bit circular that reductions to colleges’ credits mean that they struggle to meet the demand that they want to meet, which means that students therefore do not access as many courses, which means, in turn, that the demand drops? Does the minister think that there is likely to be genuinely less need for student support funding this year than there was last year?

Yes.

Are you prepared to consider the issue of facility time, too?

My understanding is slightly different. I understand that they were poles apart to an extent, but that that was largely down to the fact that there would be a hole in the funding that employers would need to find in order to come to an agreement.

Good morning, minister. Thank you for answering the questions that you have answered so far.

I understand to a degree the point that you make about the budget, but I will take Willie Rennie’s question further and suggest that there is a responsibility on Government to consider how it will solve the problem. Countless organisations, including the Fraser of Allander Institute and Audit Scotland, have said that, if the Government is serious about even one part of its agenda that it says that it is serious about—the green economy—it cannot achieve its aims for that by making cuts to further and higher education. Therefore, the situation needs cross-portfolio working. What conversations are you having across Government about that? Is there any connection at all to the national strategy for economic transformation?

Thank you.

Up until last week, you held the line that you and the Government should not be intervening. Then there was a meeting, and you intervened, and you found £4.5 million to help to facilitate the deal. I know that colleges, staff, students and I—and others around the table, I am sure—were pleased to see that happen. What changed?