202300357204 · FOI · partially withheld
University funding: FOI release
Information requested
When the decision was made to remove the £46 million funding from colleges and universities and who made it?
You also asked when did the four other parties learn about this removal with a breakdown for each party and who was told.
Finally, you asked for all correspondence between the Scottish government and Ross Greer regarding this funding between December 2022 and the date of this FOI request - 17/5/23.
Response
I enclose a copy of all of the information you requested.
The answer to your question is: - the decision to remove the £46 million funding from colleges and universities was made on 12 April by the First Minister. The four other parties namely the Scottish Labour Party; Scottish Liberal Democrat Party; Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and the Scottish Green Party were informed of this decision on 2 May via a letter sent by the Minister for Higher and Further Education and Minister for Veterans, Graeme Dey to the Education Children and Young People Committee. The following MSPs from the four other parties are members/substitute members of the Committee and were therefore told on this date via receipt of the aforementioned letter: -
Scottish Labour Party
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Martin Whitfield
Scottish Liberal Democrat Party
Willie Rennie
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Sue Webber
Stephen Kerr
Meghan Gallacher
Scottish Green Party
Ross Greer
A copy of all correspondence between the Scottish government and Ross Greer MSP regarding this funding between December 2022 and the date of this FOI [17 May 2023] is attached.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption applies are explained in the Annex to this letter.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Detected exemption language
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption applies are explained in the Annex to this letter.