Asked by: Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding any potential impact of a reduction in university applications from international students on the long-term sustainability of higher education institutions in Scotland.
Answered by Dey, Graeme - Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans
The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council continue to support universities in developing their own mitigating strategies to minimise any negative impacts on long-term financial sustainability. This includes any reduction in international student fee income.
Within the context of a challenging international environment and stricter UK Government immigration rules, the Scottish Government remains committed to working with the university sector to ensure that Scotland remains the destination of choice for international students, demonstrated by our commitment to launching Scotland’s International Education Strategy early in 2024. We have engaged closely with key stakeholders, including universities, to develop the strategy, which will focus on three key themes: attracting and diversifying the international student population; maximising the economic benefits of international higher education; and promoting Scotland as a world leader in research and knowledge exchange.
Written Evidence Apr. 23 2024
Inquiry: City Region and Growth DealsFound: Founded by the city of Edinburgh in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is amongst the oldest civic universities
Asked by: Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the reported failure to recruit target numbers of student teachers in languages.
Answered by Gilruth, Jenny - Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.
This information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.
Modern languages are classified as a priority subject for ITE intakes by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Both the Scottish Government and SFC have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.
Asked by: Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of recent reports that its student teacher intake target was missed in 19 out of 20 subjects, and that 10 out of 20 subjects were unable to attract 50% of their target numbers.
Answered by Gilruth, Jenny - Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.
This information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.
Both the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.
Mar. 13 2024
Source Page: Scotland’s International Network Reporting: FOI ReleaseFound: External Network Report 2020 -21 Overview Report RESEARCH & INNOVATION Engagement with Universities The
Found: Cross -Party Group Annual Return Name of Cross -Party Group Cross -Party Group on Colleges and Universities
Dec. 18 2023
Source Page: Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights correspondence around accommodation: FOI releaseFound: Thank you for your letter of 6 October 2022 in connection with the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Scotland
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Birmingham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the classification review of universities announced by the Office for National Statistics in January 2017, what assessment they have made of the (1) fiscal, and (2) other, consequences of universities being reclassified as public bodies as a result of that review.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
The Office for National Statistics is not responsible for making an assessment of the non-statistical impacts of classification decisions. Therefore, no such assessment has been made of other consequences.
The Lord Stevens of Birmingham
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
19 January 2024
Dear Lord Stevens of Birmingham,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will conclude its review of the classification of universities in the National Accounts, first announced in January 2017 (HL1604). And further to the classification review of universities announced by the ONS in January 2017, what assessment we have made of the (1) fiscal, and (2) other, consequences of universities being reclassified as public bodies as a result of that review (HL1606).
The ONS regularly reviews legislation and guidance relating to a number of institutions, including universities, to determine whether any changes would have a potential impact on their sector classification. As such, the classification review of universities in the UK, first announced on 31 January 2017 [1] will consider whether the substantial rise in tuition fees from 2012, and other changes in funding arrangements affect the classification of universities.
A further statement on the classification review of universities in the UK was released on 5 April 2018 [2]. This statement explained that the classification review had been paused because of the announcement of the review of post-18 education and funding, which raised the possibility that the cap for tuition fees may be altered. As this could affect the classification status of individual universities, the statement confirmed the classification review would recommence when there is more certainty in this area.
It was necessary to further postpone the classification review of universities in the UK due to new higher priority classification cases, such as support schemes initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently, the energy support schemes introduced in 2022 and 2023.
At present, the ONS plans to begin the classification review of universities in the UK from Quarter 2 (April – June) 2024. However, classification priorities can change quickly, and the expected dates of completion are only indicative. Our forward work plan 3 is updated each month to reflect changes in priorities. Table 1 shows the expected timetable for the classification review.
Table 1: Expected timetable for the classification review of universities [3]
Name of case | Expected date of completion |
Universities (Scotland) | Quarter 2 (Apr to Jun) 2024 |
Universities (Northern Ireland) | Quarter 3 (Jul to Sep) 2024 |
Universities (Wales) | Quarter 3 (Jul to Sep) 2024 |
Universities (England) | Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2025 |
Source: Forward Work Plan December 2023 (19 December 2023)
The ONS has not yet made an assessment of the fiscal consequences of universities being reclassified as public bodies. Within our forward work plan, for each of the four cases involved, we have provided an indication that the impact on fiscal aggregates could be small (less than £100 million change).
The ONS is not responsible for making an assessment of the non-statistical impacts of classification decisions. Therefore, no such assessment has been made of other consequences.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
[1] Classification review of universities in the UK - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
[3] Economic statistics sector classification – Forward Work Plan dataset (XLSX, 128KB)
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Birmingham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the Office for National Statistics will conclude its review of the classification of universities in the National Accounts, first announced in January 2017.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
The Office for National Statistics is not responsible for making an assessment of the non-statistical impacts of classification decisions. Therefore, no such assessment has been made of other consequences.
The Lord Stevens of Birmingham
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
19 January 2024
Dear Lord Stevens of Birmingham,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will conclude its review of the classification of universities in the National Accounts, first announced in January 2017 (HL1604). And further to the classification review of universities announced by the ONS in January 2017, what assessment we have made of the (1) fiscal, and (2) other, consequences of universities being reclassified as public bodies as a result of that review (HL1606).
The ONS regularly reviews legislation and guidance relating to a number of institutions, including universities, to determine whether any changes would have a potential impact on their sector classification. As such, the classification review of universities in the UK, first announced on 31 January 2017 [1] will consider whether the substantial rise in tuition fees from 2012, and other changes in funding arrangements affect the classification of universities.
A further statement on the classification review of universities in the UK was released on 5 April 2018 [2]. This statement explained that the classification review had been paused because of the announcement of the review of post-18 education and funding, which raised the possibility that the cap for tuition fees may be altered. As this could affect the classification status of individual universities, the statement confirmed the classification review would recommence when there is more certainty in this area.
It was necessary to further postpone the classification review of universities in the UK due to new higher priority classification cases, such as support schemes initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently, the energy support schemes introduced in 2022 and 2023.
At present, the ONS plans to begin the classification review of universities in the UK from Quarter 2 (April – June) 2024. However, classification priorities can change quickly, and the expected dates of completion are only indicative. Our forward work plan 3 is updated each month to reflect changes in priorities. Table 1 shows the expected timetable for the classification review.
Table 1: Expected timetable for the classification review of universities [3]
Name of case | Expected date of completion |
Universities (Scotland) | Quarter 2 (Apr to Jun) 2024 |
Universities (Northern Ireland) | Quarter 3 (Jul to Sep) 2024 |
Universities (Wales) | Quarter 3 (Jul to Sep) 2024 |
Universities (England) | Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2025 |
Source: Forward Work Plan December 2023 (19 December 2023)
The ONS has not yet made an assessment of the fiscal consequences of universities being reclassified as public bodies. Within our forward work plan, for each of the four cases involved, we have provided an indication that the impact on fiscal aggregates could be small (less than £100 million change).
The ONS is not responsible for making an assessment of the non-statistical impacts of classification decisions. Therefore, no such assessment has been made of other consequences.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
[1] Classification review of universities in the UK - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
[3] Economic statistics sector classification – Forward Work Plan dataset (XLSX, 128KB)
Written Evidence Apr. 23 2024
Inquiry: City Region and Growth DealsFound: In terms of overall GPA, the University performed top in Scotland and 13th in the UK in REF 2021.