Question reference: S5W-33934
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 9 December 2020
-
Current status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there has been a delay with the statutory consultation on the merger of Shetland College with Train Shetland and the North Atlantic Fisheries College Marine Centre; by what date the consultation will begin, and how long it will last.
Answer
There are no statutory consultation requirements on the Scottish Ministers at this stage in the process. The consultation duties on Scottish Ministers under the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 only apply to incorporated colleges. Shetland College is not currently an incorporated college, so the duties would not be triggered unless it decided to become one. Similarly, if the merged Shetland College wants to be assigned to the University of the Highlands and Islands, then under the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 Scottish Ministers would need to consult on the assignation. This would also require secondary legislation, which would be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament. The formal business case for the merger has not yet been submitted to the Scottish Government.