Chamber and committees

Yes—their parents. We are not going to punish the two-year-olds.

Why has it been possible to do that for some time in England, where—I presume—the same rules apply? Why is Scotland so far behind?

I had hoped that the SFC would speak truth to power, because it is the voice of not just the higher education sector but the college sector. Talking about managing slight fluctuations from year to year does not represent the massive pressure that colleges are under.

Two weeks ago, Derek Smeall told the committee that there is “chronic underfunding” and that

“the future includes the potential loss of 25 per cent of my workforce by the end of 2027.”—[Official Report, Education, Children and Young People Committee, 21 September 2022; c 14.]

Is he right?

Do you have any of it? Do you have a rough picture?

Will it be 25 per cent? Will it be more than that or less?

If I can—

Let me conclude this bit. I think that you are saying that you do not broadly disagree with Derek Smeall’s assumption or the suggestion that there will be significant cuts over the next few years. I think that you do not know what they will be precisely, which is why you do not want to say. I will take your nod as a sign.

Can I come back to the issue of pace?

You were smiling halfway through your answer. I suspect that there is a bit of frustration on your part. If you can get on and make an awful lot of the decisions following the review, I cannot quite understand why Government cannot, especially when the college sector is under extraordinary pressures. Therefore, what do we do about that? Why can you not relay to the Government that colleges want to get on and plan?

In relative terms, that is tinkering. Do you have the comparisons with 2010-11?