Meeting of the Parliament 08 March 2016
For the purposes of rule 9.11 of the standing orders, I wish to advise the Parliament that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill, has consented to place her prerogative and interests, so far as they are affected by the bill, at the disposal of the Parliament for the purposes of the bill.
I am pleased to be able to present the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill at stage 3 and to seek Parliament’s support for it. The bill enables key principles and values to underpin governance in our higher education institutions—transparency, democracy, inclusion, participation and accountability. The bill is in step with a modern Scotland where participation in democratic processes must be nurtured and encouraged.
No one with even passing knowledge of the bill can have failed to notice the often vigorous debate on its provisions, but I have listened carefully and consistently to all the views offered. Indeed, a range of constructive ideas has influenced alteration of the bill as introduced and amended at stages 2 and 3.
I have been, and remain, surprised at the level of opposition to the bill from some. It is important to remember that the bill’s origins flow from a substantial review of higher education governance in Scotland led by the principal of Robert Gordon University, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, and it is also important that we all pause and reflect on the purpose of the bill and its intended benefits.
First, staff and students will get a say in future in who the best person is to lead the institution that they study and work in. With the election of a powerful chair, or senior lay member, in every institution, greater transparency and inclusivity will be introduced to the appointment process for that pivotal role.
The process between stage 1 and stage 2 of the bill was intended to give everyone with an interest in its measures the opportunity to co-design the detail of how that should work in practice. That applied particularly to the role of chair. I listened carefully to a wide range of views on that issue before agreeing that having some form of selection would enhance the election part of the process.