Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what consultation the Government undertook with relevant stakeholders prior to the decision that student number controls will be applied to Scottish universities’ recruitment of English students for 2020.

Funding decisions affecting students domiciled in England are for the Department of Education to determine, however the Minister of State for Universities Michelle Donelan discussed the matter with Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochead on several occasions prior to the announcement.

This measure, which applies across the whole of the UK, will avoid harmful over-recruitment among providers which could go against the interests of both students and universities.