SNP must come clean on Abertay/Dundee merger

Liz Smith MSP, Scottish Conservative Education Spokesperson, has called on Mike Russell to provide a full explanation of why the universities of Abertay and Dundee have been asked to provide their responses to the proposed merger of these two institutions in a mere six weeks.

Following evidence submitted today at Holyrood's Education Committee by Mark Batho (Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council) and Lord Sutherland, Liz Smith MSP said:

"The proposed merger has already raised serious issues about the SNP Government's handling of this issue, specifically whether there has been undue government interference in this proposal, but none is more important than why the consultation process is so short. Any potential merger is a very big decision about which all the interested parties need to time to consider the educational, financial and social implications.

"It is deeply worrying when respected figures like Lord Sutherland believe that the consultation process has been very badly handled and potentially damaging to the best interests of the two institutions. This is a totally unacceptable situation and Mike Russell must explain himself.

"There are already so many problems with the SNP's chaotic higher education policy. The SNP have been caught out yet again and they must now be held accountable for this lack of transparency."

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