Scots seek higher return for their money from UUK

Scottish university principals are questioning the value they receive from their subscription to Universities UK and are seeking more funds earmarked for Scotland.

The Scots pay about £340,000 annually to UUK, with some £170,000 returning to Universities Scotland. They pay a separate fee over and above the UUK subscription to Universities Scotland, whose members include all higher education principals, several of whom have no UUK involvement.

UUK offers a range of services to members north of the border, but Scots think that some of these have grown too Anglocentric post-devolution. They want more investment in Universities Scotland to beef up its work, as many higher education areas, from funding to quality assurance, are diverging from England.

A spokesperson for Universities Scotland said: "(Our) convener and director have had an initial discussion with UUK to seek to ensure that the balance of where Scottish members' subscriptions are spent reflects as best as possible the service they receive."