Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2026 [Draft]
25 Mar 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
General Question Time
Forth Valley College (Alloa Campus)
Does the minister accept that funding for Forth Valley College needs to increase year on year? Otherwise, we will be in the same position next year and the following year, with the Alloa campus facing the threat of closure. Does the Scottish Government accept that, if we are to grow the Scottish economy in the way that we need to, colleges across Scotland must be put on a more sustainable footing?
In the same item of business
1. Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)
SNP
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decision by Forth Valley College to retain its Alloa campus for 2026-27, what engagement it will hav...
The Minister for Higher and Further Education (Ben Macpherson)
SNP
The member is right to emphasise that, because of the additional resource that the Scottish Government has provided to our college sector, the board of Forth...
Keith Brown
SNP
I very much welcome the Scottish Government’s support in this matter, and especially its budget support, notwithstanding the fact that neither the Conservati...
Ben Macpherson
SNP
My engagement and the Scottish Government’s wider engagement with the college have been enhanced by the work of Keith Brown, as the constituency MSP, in info...
Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Does the minister accept that funding for Forth Valley College needs to increase year on year? Otherwise, we will be in the same position next year and the f...
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
A brief response would be appreciated, minister.
Ben Macpherson
SNP
Investment in our college sector has increased significantly in this financial year, and the Government is now taking part in a process that was formally ann...