A Welsh Government minister has had to row back from comments she made saying a £100m fund had been made available for universities. Vikki Howells had said an emergency fund was being set up in case any Welsh university needs bailing out. The minister, appointed to cabinet by First Minister Eluned Morgan, was making her first contribution in the chamber in her new role when she said: “I’m aware that the UK Government has this emergency fund that they’re bringing into play. Medr is going to have its own funds to support our institutions here in Wales and I’m pleased to say it’s going to be a more positive kind of fund.
“It will be called a transformation fund so it has a positive title and a positive ethos in terms of not just bailing out universities that may be in financial trouble but working with them to see how they can transform the work that they do, to encourage them to be more financially self-sufficient in these difficult times moving forward.” She also said they do not currently believe any Welsh university is at risk.
Days after making the comments she has now written to the Senedd’s Llwydd, the presiding officer, saying she needed to “amend” her comments. “Having reviewed my comments in plenary last night in response to the question from Cefin Campbell I would like to put on record some amendments to what I said about potential support for the higher education sector in Wales,” she said.
The minister said: “I would like to reiterate my absolute commitment supporting a sustainable higher education sector, with strong institutions able to deliver on our ambitions for students and research, and driving economic growth in Wales. During my response to the question, I made reference to a specific ‘transformation fund’. I would like to clarify that the policy in this area remains at a very exploratory stage and we are still working through what, if any, potential support mechanism may look like in partnership with Medr and institutions. Although I’m aware of wider calls for an emergency fund, support for the higher education sector in England is solely a matter for the UK Government. I would also like to reiterate my statement in the chamber that we do not believe there is any Welsh institution that is at risk of failure.”
Plaid Cymru’s education spokesman Cefin Campbell said in a statement after her letter was published: “Just as they’ve given false hope to patients with their non-existent cross-border health plans, they’ve also misled the higher education sector by spuriously raising expectations. Welsh universities need a cast-iron guarantee from the Labour Welsh Government that they will be given the support they need not just to survive but to prosper. Giving the false impression that support is imminent will erode the confidence of the sector in Labour’s seriousness about getting to grips with the perilous state of Welsh universities’ finances.”