Current status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on the competitiveness of Scottish universities if the cap on tuition fees for English universities is removed and how it intends to respond to the findings of any such assessment.
The Scottish Governmentis alert to the possibility that the cap on tuition fees for English universitiesmay be removed. It has assessed a range of information, including an internal reportby the Institute for Fiscal Studies commissioned during the previous administration.This report examines the competitiveness of Scottish universities and was deliveredduring the current administration.
Any review of thecap in England will of course be important to Scottish higher educationinstitutions and the Scottish Government. It is not a foregone conclusion that thecap will be removed or fees increased. We will take an active interest in the reviewand make a more detailed and informed impact assessment, as necessary, based onits outcomes.