23 January 2009
By Paul Dicken in Cardiff
MPs have predicted a 'gloomy prospect' for Welsh universities unless co-ordination with the rest of the UK improves and a funding gap is addressed.
The Welsh affairs select committee said the funding gap between institutions in Wales and England, estimated at £61m in 2005/06 figures, could limit the ability of the higher education sector to compete effectively with institutions in other countries.
Committee chair Hywel Francis said the committee's report, Cross-border provision of public services for Wales: further education and higher education, found that the border remained a barrier to co-operation.
'Ministerial meetings need to be more transparent so that UK government departments can demonstrate that they are co-operating effectively,' he said.
He welcomed the decision made by the Welsh Assembly Government at the end of December to investigate the possibilities of a 'matched fund-raising scheme' for Welsh universities similar to one recently introduced in England.
The scheme would encourage Welsh universities to expand fund raising and promote voluntary giving from alumni and other individuals by guaranteeing that the government would match that funding.
The committee's report, published on January 16, said the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills appeared to be 'pressing ahead with strategic changes to higher education policy, with little regard for the consequences for the devolved nations, and little consultation'.
In a separate report published on January 14, the Wales Audit Office said universities in Wales needed to work together more to achieve the WAG's objectives for the sector.
It added that collaboration had yet to realise its full potential to save costs, widen teaching provision and increase research capacity.
PFjan2009
