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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 18 September 2025
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Displaying 1148 contributions

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Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

I turn to John Lewis. As we have discussed, there is a lot going on in the higher and further education world, and the SFC has to deal with many huge challenges. There has been some criticism—as we have also discussed—about the SFC’s inability to spot those challenges in advance and to address them adequately. Do you think that the SFC is up to the proposed changes at this time?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

I appreciate that.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

Thank you—that is helpful. Does anybody else want to chip in?

I will bring in Sarah Collins first.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

Why can we not do that now?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

Paul Campbell will have seen the extensive criticism not just from the Withers report but from Audit Scotland. What is your response to that criticism?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

That is an indication that you are satisfied with the status quo, though. You said that those things are closely aligned.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

It is not just Withers, though. Audit Scotland and others have said the same.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

I like Carolyn Currie’s sunny optimism, but why do you think that the SFC is more suited to meeting the needs of businesses that are run by women than the current set-up is?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

The criticism was more than just “do better”, was it not? James Withers was pretty scathing—I have some of the quotes here, but I will not go through them. The wording was not just “do better” but, “You have to change,” because we have to bring together all the funding to deliver the cultural change.

Your assessment is much more modest. You think that what is proposed is a dangerous step.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 May 2025

Willie Rennie

I think that there is a slight contradiction in what you are saying. You are saying the system needs to change, but you are quite happy with the system.