Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 25 September 2018.
Well, I believe it’s true to say that there has been an impact as regards changing the system of support for students. It’s quite natural that we should see that. It’s impossible to know whether that’s true or not until we’ve had this system for a few years and can therefore see whether this is a blip or whether it's a trend. First, of course, it is the universities’ duty to market themselves and, of course, to attempt to attract students into their universities. We, as a Government, have collaborated with universities and I have worked with a number of universities that have gone abroad in order to sell those universities globally. But what’s important, of course, to ensure is that they have the academic staff that can offer the kind of education we would wish to see, and, at present, what’s endangering that is the fact that there is no clarity whatsoever as regards what the status of academic staff from the EU and other countries will be and whether they will be welcome here or not. I hope that the welcome will remain.