Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 21 March 2024.
Audrey Nicoll
Scottish National Party
Since 2019, international students have contributed between £4 billion and £6 billion to the Scottish economy. The UK Government has stated that the intended purpose of the review is to confirm, among other things, that the visa can support pathways into high-quality jobs. Any curtailment of the graduate route has serious implications for Scotland’s university sector at a time when the UK Government’s decision to end dependents’ visas for postgraduate students has had a significant impact on demand from key international markets such as Nigeria, India and Pakistan.
Does the Minister agree that any change to the graduate route visa must ensure that it remains an attractive and competitive offer to those who wish to study here, and that the UK Government must ensure that Scotland and the UK remain open and that a warm welcome awaits international students?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
