Scottish Labour has urged the Finance Secretary to clarify a
“dodgy” claim about Higher Education funding made in the budget.
The Finance Secretary claimed that the budget would “increase
total investment in Higher Education by 3.5%”.
However, Universities Scotland has confirmed that this is not the
case, warning that the budget represents a 0.7 per cent real
terms cut in resource.
The Scottish Government's own budget documents don't support the
claim of a 3.5 per cent overall increase.
The Budget shows that in cash terms, resource for Higher
Education is rising by 1.7 per cent while capital is rising by
3.2 per cent.
On Thursday Scottish Labour Education spokesperson made a Point
of Order urging the Finance Secretary to come to the Chamber to
either clarify the source of her claim or correct the record.
Commenting, Scottish Labour Education spokesperson said “It's been
mere days since the SNP set out its budget but questions are
already piling up about their sums.
“The Finance Secretary must come to the Chamber and either
explain the source of this dodgy claim or correct the record.
“Scotland's world-class universities are under a huge amount of
pressure – they need a fair deal in this budget.
“The SNP must drop the spin and come clean about what its budget
really means for Scotland's universities.”
ENDS
Notes
Universities Scotland: “the overall resource budget for
universities is not rising by 3.5%. Today's outcome represents a
0.7% real terms cut in HE resource” https://www.universities-scotland.ac.uk/budgetresponse24/
HE Resource:
|
2024-25 (£m)
|
2025-26 (£m)
|
Cash increase
|
|
760.707
|
773.590
|
1.7%
|
HE Capital:
|
2024-25 (£m)
|
2025-26 (£m)
|
Cash increase
|
|
356.890
|
368.270
|
3.2%
|
Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2025-2026/
: “we will increase total
investment in Higher Education by 3.5%” https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2025-26-finance-secretarys-statement-4-december-2024/
On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. Yesterday, the
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government said that the
budget gave universities a 3.5 per cent uplift. Last night,
Universities Scotland said that that was not the case. It said
specifically that
“The overall resource budget for universities is not rising by
3.5%”
and that, instead, its budget allocation
“represents a 0.7% real terms cut in HE resource”.
After a decade of public funding decisions that have left the
sector in a precarious state, that is an extremely difficult
position for it to be in. Universities are integral to Scotland's
future, and it is crucial that they—and we in the chamber—can
understand exactly what funding the Government is allocating to
them.
On that basis, Deputy Presiding Officer, what mechanism is open
to members to invite the Government to clarify the position that
it set out on universities in the budget yesterday?
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-05-12-2024?meeting=16144&iob=137931
