Meetings
NDM7101 Plaid Cymru debate - The Higher Education Sector
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Meeting: 26/06/2019 - Plenary - Fifth Senedd (Item 8)
Plaid Cymru debate - The Higher Education Sector
NDM7101 Rhun ap Iorwerth
(Ynys Môn)
To propose that the
National Assembly for Wales:
1. Notes the
serious financial crisis facing the Welsh higher education sector, with
significant job losses announced over the last twelve months amid concerns as
to the financial sustainability of individual institutions.
2. Calls on the
Welsh Government to commission an urgent review of the financial sustainability
of the Welsh university sector.
3. Calls on the
Welsh Government to give HEFCW an explicit mandate to intervene to prevent the
bankruptcy of any higher education institution in Wales in the immediate
future, by means of an emergency loan if necessary.
4. Calls on the
Welsh Government to ensure that any public funding to a Welsh university is
contingent on vice-chancellor salaries being no more than five times median
earnings.
5. Calls on the
Welsh Government to ensure the adequacy and transparency of university
oversight and governance arrangements, especially in relation to the
expenditure of public funds.
6. Calls on the
Welsh Government to remit HEFCW, and any successor body, to exercise a
partnership approach with students and university staff at all levels of
decision-making, and to require universities to take account of student and
staff views in making staffing decisions.
The following
amendments have been tabled:
Amendment 1 - Rebecca Evans
(Gower)
Delete all and
replace with:
1. Recognises:
a. that Universities in Wales and the UK are
independent and autonomous institutions;
b. the financial challenges facing the Higher
Education sector across the UK, including Brexit and the decline in the number
of 18 year olds;
2. Welcomes:
a. the introduction by the Welsh Government of
the most generous student support system in the UK, and the significant
increases in the number of part-time and post graduate students in Wales;
b. the introduction of a fair and sustainable
funding settlement for Welsh universities and the commitment to increase
funding to HEFCW in each financial year for the lifetime of this Welsh
Government;
c. the sector-wide commitment in Wales to pay
the real living wage to all staff, the increased openness and transparency in
the reporting of senior pay, measures being taken to address the gender pay gap
and the adoption of the Code of Practice on Ethical Employment in Supply
Chains;
d. that Wales is the best performing nation in
the UK for student satisfaction;
3. Notes the Welsh Government’s remit to HEFCW
to work in partnership with the sector to increase openness and transparency
around the use of fee income and to strengthen governance and accountability.
Code of Practice on
Ethical Employment in Supply Chains
[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and
3 will be de-selected]
Amendment 2- Darren Millar
(Clwyd West)
Delete point 3.
Amendment 3 - Darren Millar
(Clwyd West)
In point 4, delete
'is contingent on vice-chancellor salaries being no more than five times median
earnings' and replace with 'includes conditions to tackle excessive vice
chancellor and senior leadership pay'.
Amendment 4 - Darren Millar
(Clwyd West)
Add as new point at
end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh
Government to publish the information about the higher education sector's
financial position that it takes into consideration before agreeing the
sector's annual budget allocation.
Minutes:
The item started at
17.25
Voting
on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.
A
vote was taken on the motion without amendment:
NDM7101 Rhun
ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
To
propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1.
Notes the serious financial crisis facing the Welsh higher education sector,
with significant job losses announced over the last twelve months amid concerns
as to the financial sustainability of individual institutions.
2.
Calls on the Welsh Government to commission an urgent review of the financial
sustainability of the Welsh university sector.
3.
Calls on the Welsh Government to give HEFCW an explicit mandate to intervene to
prevent the bankruptcy of any higher education institution in Wales in the
immediate future, by means of an emergency loan if necessary.
4.
Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that any public funding to a Welsh
university is contingent on vice-chancellor salaries being no more than five
times median earnings.
5.
Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure the adequacy and transparency of
university oversight and governance arrangements, especially in relation to the
expenditure of public funds.
6.
Calls on the Welsh Government to remit HEFCW, and any successor body, to
exercise a partnership approach with students and university staff at all
levels of decision-making, and to require universities to take account of
student and staff views in making staffing decisions.
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
9 |
0 |
34 |
43 |
The
motion without amendment was not agreed.
The
following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1 - Rebecca
Evans (Gower)
Delete all and replace with:
1.
Recognises:
a.
that Universities in Wales and the UK are independent and autonomous
institutions;
b.
the financial challenges facing the Higher Education sector across the
UK, including Brexit and the decline in the number of 18 year olds;
2.
Welcomes:
a.
the introduction by the Welsh Government of the most generous student
support system in the UK, and the significant increases in the number of
part-time and post graduate students in Wales;
b.
the introduction of a fair and sustainable funding settlement for Welsh
universities and the commitment to increase funding to HEFCW in each financial
year for the lifetime of this Welsh Government;
c.
the sector-wide commitment in Wales to pay the real living wage to all
staff, the increased openness and transparency in the reporting of senior pay,
measures being taken to address the gender pay gap and the adoption of the Code
of Practice on Ethical Employment in Supply Chains;
d.
that Wales is the best performing nation in the UK for student
satisfaction;
3.
Notes the Welsh Government’s remit to HEFCW to work in partnership with
the sector to increase openness and transparency around the use of fee income
and to strengthen governance and accountability.
A vote was taken on
amendment 1:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
25 |
0 |
18 |
43 |
Amendment
1 was agreed.
As amendment 1 was agreed, amendments 2 and 3 were de-selected
Amendment 4 - Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government to publish the information about the higher
education sector's financial position that it takes into consideration before
agreeing the sector's annual budget allocation.
A vote was taken on
amendment 4:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
18 |
0 |
25 |
43 |
Amendment
4 was not agreed.
NDM7101 Rhun
ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
A
vote was taken on the motion as amended:
1. Recognises:
a. that Universities in Wales and the UK are
independent and autonomous institutions;
b. the financial challenges facing the Higher
Education sector across the UK, including Brexit and the decline in the number
of 18 year olds;
2. Welcomes:
a. the introduction by the Welsh Government of
the most generous student support system in the UK, and the significant
increases in the number of part-time and post graduate students in Wales;
b. the introduction of a fair and sustainable funding
settlement for Welsh universities and the commitment to increase funding to
HEFCW in each financial year for the lifetime of this Welsh Government;
c. the sector-wide commitment in Wales to pay
the real living wage to all staff, the increased openness and transparency in
the reporting of senior pay, measures being taken to address the gender pay gap
and the adoption of the Code of Practice on Ethical Employment in Supply
Chains;
d. that Wales is the best performing nation in
the UK for student satisfaction;
3. Notes the Welsh Government’s remit to HEFCW
to work in partnership with the sector to increase openness and transparency
around the use of fee income and to strengthen governance and accountability.
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
25 |
0 |
19 |
44 |
The
motion as amended was agreed.