Universities'
Activities (Palestine Conflict)
4. Maggie Chapman (North
East Scotland) (Green)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update
on any discussions that it has had with universities across
Scotland about how public money is used, including in relation to
any activities that may impact the on-going conflict in
Palestine. (S6O-03535)
The Minister for Higher
and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans ()
The requirements that institutions are expected to comply with in
return for public funding are set out in the Scottish Funding
Council's financial memoranda for colleges and universities. The
Scottish Government regularly meets the SFC and Universities
Scotland to discuss any issues of importance, including how we
can work together to manage public spending to ensure that public
money is fully focused on delivering a wellbeing economy.
The Scottish Government's position on the conflict in Palestine
is clear: we call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire by all
sides. We expect universities, as autonomous bodies, to have in
place measures to safeguard students and staff, and to continue
to build interfaith relations on campus.
Maggie
Chapman
The minister will be aware of several Palestine solidarity camps
on campuses across Scotland. Supported by Aberdeen University
Students Association and folk across Aberdeen, the encampment at
the University of Aberdeen is calling for the university to
divest from all investments relating to the arms industry. No
money intended for education should be used to fund war, directly
or indirectly. Until it fell at dissolution, the university was
using the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters)
Bill, which is anti-BDS—boycott, divestment and
sanctions—legislation, as an excuse for not divesting.
I ask the minister to confirm whether the Scottish Government
stands by its policy note from 2014, which states:
“Exploitation of assets in illegal settlements ... is likely to
be regarded as constituting ‘grave professional misconduct'”.
Does he therefore believe that no institution in receipt of
public money should be financially engaged in Israel?
I am aware of the campus encampments and fully support their
right to freedom of expression.
On the procurement policy note that Ms Chapman raises—I hope that
she will realise that procurement is not my area of expertise—the
substance of that note remains unchanged. Ms Chapman is correct
to say that that means that the exploitation of assets in
illegally occupied territories may constitute grave professional
misconduct for the purposes of procurement legislation.
Equally, it is true that any decision to exclude a bidder from a
procurement process must be taken on a case-by-case basis, be
proportionate and be compliant with our international obligations
in relation to procurement and trade.
