Briefings & Evidence

Response to Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee’s call for written evidence on the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum

Universities Scotland has submitted written evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee as part of its scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum (FM).

Universities Scotland has concerns that the Financial Memorandum contains underestimates of costs facing higher education institutions (HEIs) as a result of the Bill’s provisions.
However, our more fundamental financial concerns are that the Bill:

  • Substantially increases the risk that the Office for National Statistics may reclassify higher education institutions as part of the public sector, and
  • May create a risk to institutions’ charitable status.

The realisation of either of these risks would have far-reaching financial implications for HEIs and their contribution to Scotland.

Read Universities Scotland’s written evidence submission to the Finance Committee