Extract from Westminster
Hall debate on International Education Strategy
(Motherwell and Wishaw)
(SNP):...The other issue is that the UK Government
promised to replace overall EU funding with a shared prosperity
fund. Despite repeated promises, there has not yet been any
detail on how this will be equitably established and implemented.
We have been promised new regulations that will affect the Higher
Education and Research Act 2017. This is really important to
Scotland, because since 2014 we have succeeded in drawing down
£533 million of Horizon 2020 research funding...
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Extract from Lords
debate on Devolved Administrations: 20th Anniversary
(LD):...In Wales, there is particular concern about the
loss of European structural and investment funds, which have been
very important to Wales and made us net recipients of funds from
Europe. The UK shared prosperity fund has been loudly
trumpeted, but is it anything more than a name? Who is designing
it? What are the criteria for eligibility? Will it be GVA per
head, as now? The noble Lord, , pointed out that Wales has the
lowest GVA per head at I think £16,000, as opposed to the English
£27,000. Will it be the regional human poverty index? Will it be
measures of disposable income? In particular, how will
this shared prosperity fund be shared? As a
devolved matter, will it be administered by a Welsh, Scottish or
Northern Irish Administration? If we crash out on 31 October,
will this shared prosperity fundsuddenly come into being
on 1 November?
When you step out of the car crash and see the remains all around
you, you look for help and guidance. Where will we find the
vision, leadership and energy to deal with these internal
pressures and tensions—never mind foreign trade—to manufacture
the economic frameworks, to design the shared prosperity fund, and to reconcile the
devolved Administrations and their Parliaments, which have been
disgracefully overlooked in the negotiations? Will we look to Mr
Nigel Farage and his cronies to provide that leadership, vision
and reconciliation? I do not think so. He said this morning that
he is looking forward to returning to the pub next week, where no
doubt he will hold court about the great betrayal. There is the
whole raft of Tory aspirants to leadership running around
presenting their wares to their members. Which one of them, still
declaring his or her eternal support for while manning the telephone
banks, has the courage and the ability to do what is so necessary
for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
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