Support for Higher Education

Part of 2. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:46 pm on 15 January 2019.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 2:46, 15 January 2019

Well, Llywydd, the number of 18-year-olds in the Welsh population is going to be at its all-time low in modern times in the year 2020. It's gone from 40,000 to down close to 30,000, but the percentage of 18-year-olds who go to university from Wales continues to be at the top end of historic levels, and we're very glad to see that. As far as the Reid review is concerned, we're already committed to one of its key recommendations, in making sure that we strengthen our position in London through our office that we have there, and that's a necessary thing to do because the future for research income for Welsh universities the other side of Brexit depends upon our ability to help them and them to help themselves in competing for other strands of research income, including new strands, for example, through the industrial strategy.