Chamber
Plenary, 15 Feb 2007
15 Feb 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Crichton University Campus
I congratulate Elaine Murray on securing this important debate. Indeed, the debate on the threat to the Crichton campus is currently the most important debate for the people of south-west Scotland.
We have heard a tale of two regions. We have heard that people in the Highlands earn higher wages than people in the south of Scotland do, but the Highlands region qualifies for higher levels of European funding. Highlands and Islands Enterprise has wider powers than Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway has and it has a social remit. It also receives 3.5 times the funding of Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway per head of population.
The UHI Millennium Institute receives six times the capital investment that the south of Scotland receives and around eight times its revenue funding for higher education places. The UHI now runs a wide programme of courses—it has arts, humanities and social sciences, business and leisure, health, and science and technology faculties. However, the Scottish funding council tells us that there is no room for the liberal arts in the south of Scotland, because they contribute nothing to the economy. It has been said that if the liberal arts contribute nothing to the economy of Dumfries and Galloway, they contribute nothing to the Highlands economy and have no place in any of our universities. It is arrant and ill-informed nonsense to say that Dumfries and Galloway, where the tourism industry is one of the biggest employers, makes no economic gains from a course on tourism, heritage and development, and that the region whose strapline is
"The natural place to live"
has nothing to gain from a course on environmental sustainability.
As we all have this past fortnight, I have received in my postbag the statement that Natural Power Consultants in Dumfries and Galloway, which is one of the country's most important renewables consultancies, cannot get graduates of the right calibre. Bibliographic Data Services, which is based on the Crichton campus, relies on high-quality graduates. I have heard from a consultant who employs graduates at the Crichton; an arts venue in Gatehouse of Fleet; and many others, including many locally based, mature female students who have gained in their education because of the presence in Dumfries of the Crichton. They have the same rights to get that education as anyone else in the country has.
Every one of the e-mails and letters that I have received speaks about the importance for the region of the presence in Dumfries of the University of Glasgow. The interdisciplinary nature of the degrees and the outstanding levels of research and publication at the Crichton are unique. The funding council's research has noted the key importance of the University of Glasgow's involvement in the Crichton campus, yet it is ignoring its own research. The campus keeps and attracts the most talented part of the population in a region that is haemorrhaging its young people.
I say to the minister that this is a genuinely cross-party campaign. The late Donald Dewar praised the University of Glasgow's campus at Crichton. The current First Minister said that ministers are very committed to the campus, at least at its current scale. The message from this debate is clear. Every single person who knows anything about the Crichton knows that the current scale of operation cannot be achieved without the presence of liberal arts, and without the prestige and academic achievement of the University of Glasgow. The University of Paisley and Bell College cannot and have made it abundantly clear that they do not want or intend to replace the work of the University of Glasgow.
This is the minister's responsibility. I hope that he will not just mouth commitments tonight but will act on them, meet the funding council and work as hard as he can to find a way through this impasse—we know that he can do it. Will the minister act now and give us that commitment tonight, or will he go down as the minister who oversaw the end of the Crichton and its current breadth, range and quality?
We have heard a tale of two regions. We have heard that people in the Highlands earn higher wages than people in the south of Scotland do, but the Highlands region qualifies for higher levels of European funding. Highlands and Islands Enterprise has wider powers than Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway has and it has a social remit. It also receives 3.5 times the funding of Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway per head of population.
The UHI Millennium Institute receives six times the capital investment that the south of Scotland receives and around eight times its revenue funding for higher education places. The UHI now runs a wide programme of courses—it has arts, humanities and social sciences, business and leisure, health, and science and technology faculties. However, the Scottish funding council tells us that there is no room for the liberal arts in the south of Scotland, because they contribute nothing to the economy. It has been said that if the liberal arts contribute nothing to the economy of Dumfries and Galloway, they contribute nothing to the Highlands economy and have no place in any of our universities. It is arrant and ill-informed nonsense to say that Dumfries and Galloway, where the tourism industry is one of the biggest employers, makes no economic gains from a course on tourism, heritage and development, and that the region whose strapline is
"The natural place to live"
has nothing to gain from a course on environmental sustainability.
As we all have this past fortnight, I have received in my postbag the statement that Natural Power Consultants in Dumfries and Galloway, which is one of the country's most important renewables consultancies, cannot get graduates of the right calibre. Bibliographic Data Services, which is based on the Crichton campus, relies on high-quality graduates. I have heard from a consultant who employs graduates at the Crichton; an arts venue in Gatehouse of Fleet; and many others, including many locally based, mature female students who have gained in their education because of the presence in Dumfries of the Crichton. They have the same rights to get that education as anyone else in the country has.
Every one of the e-mails and letters that I have received speaks about the importance for the region of the presence in Dumfries of the University of Glasgow. The interdisciplinary nature of the degrees and the outstanding levels of research and publication at the Crichton are unique. The funding council's research has noted the key importance of the University of Glasgow's involvement in the Crichton campus, yet it is ignoring its own research. The campus keeps and attracts the most talented part of the population in a region that is haemorrhaging its young people.
I say to the minister that this is a genuinely cross-party campaign. The late Donald Dewar praised the University of Glasgow's campus at Crichton. The current First Minister said that ministers are very committed to the campus, at least at its current scale. The message from this debate is clear. Every single person who knows anything about the Crichton knows that the current scale of operation cannot be achieved without the presence of liberal arts, and without the prestige and academic achievement of the University of Glasgow. The University of Paisley and Bell College cannot and have made it abundantly clear that they do not want or intend to replace the work of the University of Glasgow.
This is the minister's responsibility. I hope that he will not just mouth commitments tonight but will act on them, meet the funding council and work as hard as he can to find a way through this impasse—we know that he can do it. Will the minister act now and give us that commitment tonight, or will he go down as the minister who oversaw the end of the Crichton and its current breadth, range and quality?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S2M-5444, in the name of Elaine Murray, on the threat to the Crichton campus in Dumf...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament recognises and applauds the success of the Crichton university campus in Dumfries over the past seven years and the contribution made by ...
Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the group of stakeholders who are in the public gallery. They comprise students, staff, the chief executive of Dumfries and Galloway Council, and p...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Before we move to the open debate, I remind those in the public gallery that it is not appropriate for them to applaud.
Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I am glad that Elaine Murray has secured a debate on a topic that is of such vital importance to the future of the south-west of Scotland. As time is very br...
Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con):
Con
I congratulate Elaine Murray on lodging the motion and I echo her warm welcome to those who have made the journey up from the south-west for the debate.Let u...
Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green):
Green
I congratulate Elaine Murray on securing this important debate. Indeed, the debate on the threat to the Crichton campus is currently the most important debat...
Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol):
Sol
I thank Elaine Murray for securing the debate. I also acknowledge and thank the number of people who have come along today. I think that we would all agree t...
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
I thank Elaine Murray for bringing this important subject to the chamber. As the first non-South of Scotland MSP to speak in the debate, I will discuss the n...
Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
I also thank Elaine Murray for securing today's debate on what is a very important subject to Dumfries and Galloway, as well as to the south of Scotland and ...
Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green):
Green
Early in the Parliament's first session, I had the honour and great pleasure to take part in an environmental symposium at Crichton College. I kept up that r...
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Allan Wilson):
Lab
I thank Elaine Murray for providing us with the opportunity to debate a subject that is of great importance to our policy position, and for her speech, which...
Alasdair Morgan:
SNP
The minister should just cut to the chase: does he or the Executive have a view on whether they would prefer the University of Glasgow to stay at Crichton ca...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I advise the member to be patient in that regard.On student numbers, I believe that the overall level of provision at the Crichton campus should, at the very...
Chris Ballance:
Green
The minister's allotted time is running out, and we would very much like him to address the question that Alasdair Morgan asked: does he support the range of...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I thought that I had just explained to Chris Ballance and other members that ministers are denied by law from doing what he suggests. Interruption. Chris Bal...
Alasdair Morgan:
SNP
Will the minister give way?
Alex Fergusson:
Con
Will the minister give way?
Allan Wilson:
Lab
Let me make progress.The funding council allocates a block teaching grant to institutions. It is up to each university, as an autonomous body, to decide how ...
Alasdair Morgan:
SNP
Will the minister give way?
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I will continue my point.Comparisons have been made with the level of provision and investment in the Highlands and Islands—Alasdair Morgan made such compari...
Chris Ballance:
Green
Will the minister meet the funding council to discuss the issue?
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Do not intervene from a sedentary position, Mr Ballance.
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I ask Chris Ballance to be patient, as I will come to that point.I pay tribute to Glasgow University for its support of Crichton campus and I hope that it wi...
Meeting closed at 17:53.