11. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on university funding? OAQ51290

Diolch yn fawr, Simon. The reforms that we are implementing in response to the Diamond review will create a sustainable and progressive higher education funding settlement for Wales that supports students when they need it the most, and enables our universities to compete domestically and, as we've just heard, internationally also. 

Thank you for that response. I’m particularly interested in what we can do to expand beyond what Diamond, even, is suggesting on the funding of universities. If you look at Aberystwyth University, I welcome the fact that there’s been recent investment in a veterinary clinic in that university, and there’s been investment in moving towards establishing veterinary courses at the university. But in looking beyond the situation that we’re currently in, with Brexit and changes in the veterinary profession, I believe that there is now room to make the case that we need a full veterinary school at a Welsh university, and Aberystwyth, and IBERS—the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences—would be the ideal place to establish such a school. So, are you now discussing this with the universities in Wales and the funding council in terms of looking towards the horizon and seeing this coming to fruition?

Thank you, Simon. Can I put on record how fantastically I think the new vice-chancellor at Aberystwyth, Elizabeth Treasure, is doing? We've seen some really impressive student satisfaction results from the university and the example of that partnership working with London to establish partial veterinary education in Aberystwyth is very welcome indeed. 

I've yet to have discussions with the vice-chancellor about establishing a full veterinary course at Aberystwyth, but I meet very regularly with vice-chancellors and, of course, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. It would be an expensive subject. The Diamond package does give us that room for manoeuvre to look at how we would support expensive subjects, not just veterinary science, but other subjects going forward, and I'm sure that Aberystwyth, HEFCW and the other vice-chancellors won't be slow in coming forward if they think that there are opportunities to develop the offer at Welsh universities.