Chamber and committees

Prevention of violence is always preferable to mopping up its consequences. What work is the Scottish Government funding to support schools in the prevention agenda?

I will be pleased to vote for the Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill at decision time. This relatively small bill does not propose radical change, but it represents a chance to make things better for a small number of individuals with both severe debt problems and severe mental health issues, and that is not a small thing.

If the bill is passed, it will do three things. It will give Scottish ministers powers to create a mental health moratorium; it will make minor and technical reforms to bankruptcy legislation; and it will make changes to the law on debt enforcement.

According to research from the Money Advice Service, more than 55 per cent of adults have struggled with their wellbeing because of money problems at some time in their lives. A total of 38 per cent pointed the finger at debt as the biggest financial issue linked to suffering with mental illness, and being unable to cope with everyday costs, such as bills, came in a close second.

A recent report from the Money Advice Service found that 59 per cent of people who contacted it for debt advice reported that they had been diagnosed with a mental health condition. That is much higher than the United Kingdom average of 17 per cent, which highlights how money problems and mental health and wellbeing can be interlinked.

As Maggie Chapman said, money issues and mental health problems can cycle, with mental health problems making it harder to earn and manage money or to ask for help, which leads to financial difficulty. Financial difficulty, in turn, increases stress and anxiety, perhaps exacerbated by collection activity from creditors and going without essentials, which increases mental health problems, and so on.

The bill contains powers that would allow Scottish ministers to create a mental health moratorium to protect people with serious mental health issues from debt recovery action. I understand that the idea of a moratorium to provide special protection for those with serious mental health conditions achieved broad support in the bankruptcy and debt advice review consultation. As has been laid out, responses to the Economy and Fair Work Committee also showed strong support for the principle of such protection, notwithstanding people’s questions over the details.

The bill proposes relatively minor reforms, with some benefiting creditors and some benefiting debtors. In summary, the debt enforcement changes would require bodies such as banks and employers to tell creditors why attempts to arrest a debtor’s assets have been unsuccessful; require debtors to be provided with a debt advice and information package in advance of the relevant hearing for diligence on the dependence; extend the timeframe that a debtor has to reclaim assets seized at their home; and increase flexibility around when a money attachment can be carried out on business premises.

The bill will make a small but important change to bankruptcy and diligence. The introduction of a mental health moratorium is an important step that will help those with the most severe mental health conditions and financial challenges. I will be very pleased to vote for the bill tonight.

Obviously, the Office for National Statistics classification is limiting in some ways. Do you have any views on measures that could be explored to enable colleges to raise revenue, for example?

I will come on to that. I wanted to know what you would like the SFC to consider in reviewing that funding. You have spoken about the impact and your concerns. Would you like to add anything more specific?

Apologies—I have misread my notes and I am treading into territory that Michelle Thomson will want to talk to you about. I will ask instead about the impact that the removal of 1,289 full-time-equivalent funded places will have on supply and demand for Scotland-domiciled students.

I saw Ellie Gomersall nodding. Do you wish to come in on that, Ellie?

I know that this committee would push back on that view a bit, and we certainly take a lot of evidence about the benefits of apprenticeships and the different styles of college places. Progress is being made on that front.

In some ways, Dr Conlon’s responses have drawn out what I was going to ask about with regard to opportunities and positive things that can come from that sort of involvement. I appreciate the caution or worry that has been expressed, but there are opportunities for students and for our country in the entrepreneurial work that is going on.

Good morning, panel, and thank you for your contribution so far. I will ask about student numbers, funding places and international students. Mary Senior, I come to you first. What would UCU like the SFC to consider in its review of teaching funding that Scottish ministers have recently announced?

I am sorry, but I was slightly distracted just then—there is a very unhappy baby outside within earshot.

Sorry—just to be clear, that number is the same number by which places were increased to deal with the pandemic backlog.