 Y Llywyddanyddegwyd, wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni'n 994 ddydym ni'n gyfarwyddu eu rhiforendum. Rwyf yn gweithio, ac mae'n gweithio i gaelio i'r UK, aeth yn Gulfton Chaos, rwyf yn gwneud i gwneud i gaelio i gaelio i'r UK i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i 15 ddydym ni. Rwyf neud i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio er oceasfer i Horatwyd. D�fовой Ele poopodteringig i gaelio'r gwnaeg a gennym ni'n gweith—an instrument yn gweithredu i gaelio i gaelio i gaelio i er oceasfer i gyf unexcelens humans i gaelio'r gwnaus iail yn eistedd a tych. Aelodion gwydnos âusta体 a blaen menua fofledd. Dwi'n teimlo ddangos na ddod, fel ddwy i, yn y ddwyloedd i ystafell yn Sraith Clide i'r universityg i'r sefydliad, ac i'r universityg yn ymateb Oes of Scotland ym gyfrifio hwn yw'r cysylltu ynllewyddiaeth o'r canfмы. Dyma'r gyflath o'r bestfain yn yr Unigion Hywy Shfryd yn gwneud i'r rai gêmach yn S teachings a hwn i'r iawn. Mae oedd ymwyllgor yw i'r ddwyla ar gyfer y Shrym Unigion, i ddo i gyd yn ehol sparDAt fel bod ur那我們ig wych o gweldiedad amnoeddwyd ac wylech organ reasonably newydd anhygoel a chymaeth prof kommeigion ac pob cociedd iaith iaith ddefnyddianny rwy'r gorffed doedd. Er fyddwn ni'n cael ei bod yn llwyoog hwnnw i Eurdfyrill trafn ro modeb hwnnw, yn sicr ddefnyddhau pech attackingodd ni am ddechrau, A everytime fel cabinet re bod ei maesWeithreitho Rd看到 sydd viewswyg actuall – a mi'n sicr iddysg diwydwch gyrt draw Todd Aelon Ddewidd, at the University of the Highlands and Islands, I met Florence, who is originally from Hamburg. She broke down in tears as she was asking me a question at the Q&A event that I held because of Brexit. Florence is one of many who have chosen to come and live and work and build her lives here in Scotland. And nobody, absolutely nobody should be made to feel this way. It is completely unacceptable. Unacceptable on the UK Government's botched handling of the entire Brexit process is to blame for that. The UK Government stands to threaten the continued success of our colleges and universities. It means a loss of talent, a loss of access to EU programmes, reducing opportunities for student mobility, research collaborations and funding, and a loss of reputation on the global stage. This is made much worse by the UK Government's draconian approach to immigration. For instance, the proposed £30,000 earning cap will prevent the majority of early career researchers coming to the UK. The recent announcement of an exemption for PhD-level jobs from its own migration cap is a welcome but small necessary first step that the UK Government has taken. But so much more needs to be done. In a stunning display of just how little the UK Government knows or cares about Scotland, it's proposed temporarily leave to remain scheme with fall short of covering students studying for a four-year degree in Scotland. For some UK spokespeople to suggest, as they did, that the EU students would then have to apply for a visa for a further year to make it up to the four years, at a cost of up to £840, is, of course, absolute outrage and should be dropped immediately. I have already raised the issues with my UK counterpart, Chris Gidmore, and I am today seeking a meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he is still in post, seeking his urgent intervention on the issue. Throughout my meetings with the UK Government and other devolved Administrations, I have emphasised Scotland's distinctive needs, including calling for the reintroduction of a post-study work visa and full participation in programmes like Erasmus Plus. The European Commission's recent emergency regulation on Erasmus, I might add, is a very welcome statement. That allows for current Erasmus students to complete their studies abroad regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, showing a degree of leadership that is so lacking from the UK Government. Again, that is for current Erasmus students and, again, much more needs to be done. If there is no deal, Erasmus funding is in jeopardy for all students involved in work or study placements across Europe from 29 March onwards. In the next few weeks, I will again be meeting Ms Gidmore, hopefully in London, to raise that issue and other issues as well. Throughout past months, I have consulted extensively with all the sectors. I convened a first-ever joint sector Brexit summit last November to discuss the expected impact of Brexit. I want to build on that and have asked the Scottish funding council to host another similar summit in April, just next month. However, there are immediate challenges, as we all know, which need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Depending on if and how the UK leaves the EU, UK citizens studying for full degrees in the EU may suddenly find themselves liable for international student fees, medical care and travel insurance. Our estimates suggest that hundreds of students in Scotland may be affected. Facing untenable increases in costs, many of those students, perhaps even the vast majority, may simply have to come back to Scotland. Their studies cut short, no degree awarded and, of course, their dreams in ruins. All because of a Brexit that Scotland did not vote for and with the damage compounded by the UK Government's botched handling of the whole process. The Scottish Government has been urgently working with the sector to prepare for students who may return to Scotland and to minimise any disruption to their studies. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland has provided clear information and guidance for students on their website, which will help to guide them in transferring to a Scottish institution if that becomes necessary. Today, I want to offer reassurance to those students. If you left Scotland to study in the EU, and Brexit means that you are forced to give up your studies, we do guarantee to provide student support and tuition fees to eligible students so that you can study here in Scotland. That is a guarantee that you can bank on in these uncertain times. We are also taking actions to consider longer-term rights for Scottish citizens living in the EU to access further and higher education student support. That will ensure that eligible citizens residing in the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland post-Brexit, can still return to Scotland to take up study in the future and be able to access the same support that they are currently eligible for now. As for those EU students currently studying here or thinking of studying here, we have already committed, as members will know, to providing tuition fees for eligible EU students commencing their studies in academic year 2019-20 for the duration of their course. That guarantee remains in the event of a no-deal Brexit. We are also in active discussions with the sectors about how we might support students beyond that period. As well as talented EU citizens, our university research is successful in attracting funding from Arraith in 2020, the EU's flagship competitive research and innovation funding programme. A country's attractiveness is a place to do research that is fundamentally dependent on that country's access to international schemes. Since the rise in 2020 and the launch in 2014, over half a billion euros of funding on research and innovation has been secured by Scottish organisations. However, we are already beginning to see the worrying evidence of the damage that we are facing. Kathleen Heyman's renowned professor of astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh is shifting the majority of her research activities to the University of Bonn. Brexit, which she has confirmed, is the reason behind her move. 90 per cent of our research funding has been provided by the EU, and Professor Heyman's does not believe that this funding will be replaced where she should remain in the UK. Latest figures show that the total share of UK and Scottish participations in horizon 2020 projects is falling. Our researchers are telling us that EU partners who would have wished to collaborate are avoiding doing so with partners in the UK due to the on-going uncertainty. The Scottish Government is seeking to provide much needy clarity where we can and to represent fully the interests of staff and researchers in the negotiations with the UK Government. To provide just one example at the moment, we have demanded that more information is urgently needed concerning the UK Government review by the Curing Institute on UK alternatives to horizon Europe. My officials and I, along with the Scottish Funding Council, are undertaking regular discussions with the sectors in Scotland about these and other issues. That includes lasing with staff and researchers on issues that affect them directly, and we want to understand those concerns and to support them moving forward in any way we can. Of course, I have taken those concerns directly to the European Commission for appropriate. Last December, I led a delegation representing Scotland's research interests to Brussels, where we highlighted their world-leading credentials and continued desire to work with European partners and benefit from European funding streams. Just this week, the Deputy First Minister and I met the chair and chief executive of UK Research and Innovation. If UKRI is going to play a role in plugging some of the gap left by Brexit in research funding, we need Scotland to benefit and devolution to matter. Much of my time and that of my officials has now been taken up by considering how best to respond to the challenges and threats of Brexit. Beyond those examples, I have highlighted that there is much work being progressed across the Scottish Government from resilience planning to external communications to meeting with stakeholders in the UK Government. I am pleased to confirm that today we have published our Brexit action plan highlighting the broad scope of activity that we are currently engaged in across my own portfolios. I will be writing to each of our college and university principals to highlight that and to continue the dialogue that we have established between ourselves and the sector on the impact of Brexit. In closing, I emphasise that the Scottish Government will continue to do everything that we can to protect Scotland's interests in a very challenging and uncertain context. We recognise and value the enormous contributions that EU citizens make to our universities, our colleges and our nation, and we will continue to make the case passionately for the benefits of EU membership. Thank you very much and we turn to questions, the first question from Liz Smith. Thank you and I thank the minister for prior sight. Members in this chamber are very well aware that the Scottish Conservatives have expressed very considerable concerns about some of the challenges resulting from Brexit and I will put on record that I have some sympathy for the comments within the statement that the minister has given, notwithstanding that and the on-going uncertainty of the final Brexit outcome, there are some areas of responsibility that do lie with the Scottish Government and it is on those areas, minister, if I may ask you two questions. Firstly, University of Scotland has been very clear about its concerns for the future fee status of EU students and we very much welcome the 2019-20 commitment that you made to that end. I also note that the minister says in his statement that the Scottish Government is looking at what might happen beyond that period, so could I ask the minister to update the chamber on when the Scottish Government will be able to confirm its policy choice about the fee status of EU students for courses beginning in academic year 2020 and beyond that? Secondly, assuming that Brexit means that the Scottish and EU students will no longer be treated as groups with reciprocal rights to equal treatment, is it the intention of the Scottish Government to commit to retaining the £90 million or so that it currently spends on EU students to put that back into the higher education sector? I think that the very strong call that the minister will know from University of Scotland is that that commitment should be there. I thank Liz Smith for the spirit in which she asks the questions. In terms of our first point in relation to the status of EU students and the guarantee that we have given to pay their fees for academic year 2020, it is the case, as I said in my statement, that we are continuing to reflect on what the outcome may be from the current shambolic process in Westminster over what Scotland status will be and the UK status within the European Union post the end of this month. Clearly, we have a number of issues to take into account. Firstly, we have the issue of the disruption to our institutions. We have thousands and thousands of EU students studying at institutions in Scotland and they play a vital role within our colleges and universities. Therefore, it would be very disruptive if suddenly they were to become international students. We would not know the extent of that in terms of how many would continue to come to study at universities and colleges, but we do know that there would be some element of disruption, so we have to take that into account. Secondly, if we were to pay the fees for EU students for the following academic year, as we have been called to give clarity on at the moment, those students' things stand would not be able to work in Scotland because of their status. I hope that we all agree that that would be wholly unacceptable. That is why we need powers over post-study work visas and other immigration powers, as I believe that there is a cross-party consensus in this Parliament for it. It can help us to take the right decisions for EU students in the future so that they can make their contributions to Scottish society if they did choose to come and live in this country. There are a number of factors that we have to take into account, but the number one factor that we need clarity on is the outcome of the votes this week in Westminster and get sensible decisions taken out of the absolutely chaotic process in Westminster at the moment. Finally, the second point about the money that would potentially be saved if we were not paying EU fees. Clearly, that is something that we will reflect on. We are listening closely to the case that has been put by the further and higher education sectors. We will listen closely to what they say, but clearly, again, we need that clarity. Iain Gray, to be filled by Ross Greer. Thank you and thanks to the minister for early sight of a statement. The minister is of course right to criticise the Tory Government for the chaos and the threat of Brexit, and I also associate those benches with his assurances to EU staff and students that they are valued and welcome here in Scotland. The Scottish Government did not create this uncertainty, that is for sure, but Ms Smith is right that there are some areas in which the clarity required has to be provided by them. I fear that, in response to her questions, that clarity is not in fact being forthcoming. Let me return to some of those points, because they are the critical ones for universities. Does the minister understand that university prospectuses for 2020-21 are out now, and so potential EU students need to have some certainty around their fee status? Active discussion is not really enough. At least some clarity could be given about that aspect of studying in Scotland. Will the minister not simply give the guarantee that they need in university Scotland about their tuition fee status? I take the point that you made about other things being less clear, but in that at least clarity could be given. The same applies to the resources that are currently spent on tuition fees for EU students, which amount to around £90 million. Is the university sector simply asking for, is it guaranteed that if less than that is required for that purpose—whether it is all of it or some of it—that that resource will not be removed from the higher education sector? That seems to me to be an absolutely simple thing to ask the Government to commit to, especially—this is my final point—because, with FE and HE facing such uncertainty anyway, the minister explained to us why in earth the Government thought that this was a good year to cut college and university funding in the budget. In terms of Ian Gray's demand for clarity—I just say it—he should not be asking this Parliament or this Government for clarity on what is happening in terms of Brexit. He should be asking the UK Conservative Government for clarity, given the chaos that is happening this week alone in Westminster. Let's get clarity out of what is happening down there to enable us to take proper decisions here in Scotland for the future of further and higher education. Indeed, he could ask his own party—his own party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, for some clarity, in his position in Brexit—at the same time. We are very well aware of the potential impact on EU students in Scotland if there is a departure from the EU without any deal, but we absolutely must focus—in this week of all weeks—on getting the right decision for EU students in Scotland. That is our continued membership of the European Union and failing that a good deal that enables the very good arrangements that we have with other European countries to continue. I can tell the member that we are in serious talks with the further and higher education sectors about all the various scenarios that may happen over the coming weeks and months, and the potential impact that that will have on further and higher education. We will take a decision that maintains our links with Europe and does the best for the future of Scotland students and our further and higher education institutions. I thank the minister for advance sight of his statement and the work that the Government is doing to try to limit the damage of someone else's crisis. As it stands, if Brexit is to go ahead, we will lose both our right to freedom movement and the UK's membership of the Erasmus Post programme. We could, in theory, participate as a third country. That is not the same thing as being a full member of Erasmus Post. However, this Parliament has taken evidence from colleges and youth cobs in particular who have made the point that, without freedom of movement, the administrative burden of trying to participate in the programme is simply too much. I ask what work the Scottish Government is doing to support those who benefit the most from participation in that programme, namely our college students and those who are involved through youth programmes. Ross Greer highlights the huge contribution that Erasmus makes to the experience of students in Scotland and the experience of youth students who come to study for a short time in Scotland through Erasmus. We have made the strongest representations to the UK Government that the UK and Scotland should continue to have full participation in Erasmus Post moving forward. We want to see the UK Government adopting that position and then putting it into practice as soon as possible. That is not their position just now and we have a lack of commitment. Therefore, there is the real danger that we leave Europe without a deal on 29 March that will jeopardise Scotland's participation. Our disproportionate benefits from Erasmus because more students from Scotland participate in Erasmus spread a population by far compared to the rest of the UK. The impact of losing out of Erasmus is going to disproportionately harm Scotland and, of course, damage the experience of EU students at the same time. The situation just now is that we leave without a deal. Clearly, as I said, that will jeopardise the participation of Scottish students. We have a guarantee from the European Commission, as I mentioned, which is very much welcome. The current students in Europe at the moment are part of Erasmus. Irrespective of whether there is no deal or a deal at the end of this month, we will be able to continue to complete their programme in Europe. That is welcome, but we need the support of the UK Government to put the funding guarantees in place and to make sure that we get full participation in Erasmus Post moving forward. I have sympathy for the minister in the context of the lack of clarity that is caused by what is currently going on. Although I am a bit puzzled to understand why an action plan has been produced that cannot have many actions in it because of the lack of clarity. Perhaps I could ask the question the other way around. Katrina Miller is a Shetlander studying at the European University Institute in Florence. In other words, she is travelling into Europe for her study. She is a postgraduate and is just about to enter a PhD there. She does not know what the situation will be with her fees from March. She does not even know if she is going to be able to continue to undertake her PhD. The Government did look at a statutory instrument that was produced in London. I wonder if the minister has been in a position to update Parliament on that and the kind of circumstances that Katrina finds herself in, where there is no certainty about her future study, no certainty about the fees that she is currently undertaking. Therefore, we will potentially lose a Scotl who will gain valuable international experience studying overseas, who might have to come back to Scotland. Just as Tavish Scott expresses his sympathy for the position that I find myself in as Scotland's further education minister, I express sympathy for the position that Mr Scott's constituent Katrina Miller finds herself in. Many Scots have benefited from attending the European Institute. In the past week or two, I have written to the UK Government about expressing deep concern about the impact on Scottish students' ability to participate in the European Institute from Brexit and asking for action to be taken that would allow a participation in the institute to continue in those benefits to continue to flow to Scotland as well. In terms of the SI, we were very unhappy with the approach that was taken to the statutory instruments to enable the UK to withdraw from the European Institute, and we did right again back in a separate letter to the UK Government with that. I will happily update the member as soon as I can on the outcome of that. Last week, I attended the celebration of EU researchers in this Parliament. Seven of our world-class universities demonstrated some of the work that they are doing and showing how important Horizon 2020 is to the attractiveness of Scotland for research destinations. We have already achieved a reputation producing world-class research, some of which I am sure will be celebrated in the debate this afternoon, and we know that that has been strengthened by EU citizens working in Scotland under membership of the European Union. What can the minister do to protect research collaboration across Europe? Clare Aderson highlights such an important issue, not just in terms of the impact on researchers and students at Scottish institutions, but in the future of the Scottish economy. This morning, I was at the University of the West of Scotland, where I spoke to some students, many of whom were international students and European students who are involved in a 15 million euro programme looking at the impact of 5G involving a number of European countries. That is a European programme with European research monies, which, of course, we will be unable to take advantage of in the future if we leave the EU with no deal. We are in close discussions with UKRIs. I mentioned in my opening remarks Scotland's ability to get UK research funding in the future if that institution does try to fill the gaps that are left by losing out the European programmes. The importance of horizon 2020, which, once again, if we leave, will have a disproportionate impact in Scotland because we do better at horizon 2020 than any other part of the UK. The best way to protect that is to continue EU membership or to get a good deal that allows our full participation in horizon 2020 to continue. My final point in horizon 2020 is that we have a guarantee from the UK Government that any contract is signed irrespective of what happens at the end of this month. We will be honoured up to 2020, but I am told that I will only cover parts of the horizon 2020, and up to around €50 million a year's worth of research funding is not included in that guarantee. Once again, we have an unacceptable approach from the UK Government that does not recognise the importance of horizon 2020 to the Scottish institutions and the Scottish economy. Brian Whittle to be followed by Julian Martin. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I think that, despite the many points of contention in the minister's statement, which, as Liz Smith has already indicated, we have sympathy with and followed to the minister's welcoming, the minister's pleasure on horizon 2020, I wonder if he would at least join me in supporting the pledge by the UK Government to underwrite payments for the university participating in horizon 2020. As I have just said, we have very limited guarantees over the future of Scotland's participation in the UK participation in horizon 2020, and it is simply not good enough what we have at the moment. We also have a situation in which the UK Treasury is carrying out a value for money exercises before they take further decisions on our future participation even without a deal or with a deal moving forward. That is something that Scotland should absolutely be involved in because we are the biggest beneficiary of horizon 2020. Of course, it is enormously frustrating for the Scottish Government because we are getting very limited input to that or very limited information back from that value for money exercise, but we know in Scotland that horizon 2020 research funding is enormously valuable to Scotland, the international collaboration and also the amazing initiatives that are taking place, the length and breadth of Scotland's colleges and universities and research institutions at the moment. We cannot afford to lose that, so I urge all parties to urge the UK Government to give us the guarantees that we require. In July last year, in a statement about the loss of horizon 2020 funding, the UK Government said this in a direct quote, that the Government is working in partnership with UK research and innovation to develop a new international research and innovation strategy. The strategy will further set out the desire to build on the UK's long tradition of international collaborations and research and innovation across all fields and our openness to international talent. My question is this. There are just two weeks until exit day. Is the minister able to tell us if this UK strategy has now been made clear to him and the Scottish university sector? If it has, what does it mean for the sector? Clearly, we are keen to make sure that Scotland takes maximum advantage of any UK research and innovation funds. Members have noticed that there was an announcement this week for the University of Edinburgh out of one of the funds. That is welcome, but we have to remember that there are existing funds, and what we are talking about here is European funding over and above those domestic UK funds, which have been worth half a billion euros to our institutions and research community over the past few years alone. It is that pot of money that is crucially important, and not just that but the international collaboration that is brought with it, which also helps to boost Scotland's international reputation for research and innovation at the same time, which is an important part of the debate. It is the soft diplomacy that we get through scientific collaboration and the benefits, not just the financial benefits. We have a lot more clarity that we have to get from the UK Government in terms of ensuring that Scotland does not lose out, should heaven forbid, there will be an exit from the European Union at the end of this month. James Kelly, to be followed by Stuart McMillan. Given the potential loss of EU workers in key sectors such as health and social care, what has been done in higher and further education to identify where there might be any potential gaps and take action to fill those gaps so that we do not have an absence of skills going forward? I have to say that that is an excellent question from James Kelly, because it is one that is certainly the forefront of my mind in terms of how we ensure that we have the skills that are required for the future of the Scottish economy, given that we face a reduction, as we know in terms of young people, through demographic changes in this country. If that were to be compounded by a reduction in EU workers coming to this country, that would be highly damaging to Scotland's future prospects. That is linked to the Brexit debate and how we work with our universities and colleges. To give our reassurance to James Kelly, I can say that this is near the top of the agenda. It is also linked to how we fund going forward, because we want to ensure that we address any skills gaps that arise through Brexit, as well as other demographic changes. We are speaking to the colleges and universities at the moment about that. The Scottish funding council is doing a great deal of work on that and also on the skills alignment between all Scotland's agencies through the national strategic board. That is at the centre of our attention at the moment. Stuart McMillan, to be followed by Jamie Greene. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I welcome the measures that were introduced in the statement by the minister, particularly those assurance that was provided to the students and EU nationals involved in the Erasmus Plus scheme. I know, because I was an Erasmus Socrates student. I would be grateful if the minister could invite Mr Skidmore when he meets him in a few weeks' time to come to Scotland and speak to EU nationals and institutions in Scotland, including the Jack Cain Centre in Edinburgh, who hosted the Parliaments, Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee when we did the Erasmus Plus inquiry, which I am sure the minister will be very much aware of, because I am sure that if Mr Skidmore meets students and people from Scotland, that would encourage him to provide some more assurances, to provide the assurances that are required to keep the Erasmus Plus scheme. I know that Stuart McMillan has mentioned before how he benefited from the Erasmus scheme, and he is a perfect example of where he can go in life through enriching your experience through such schemes. I indeed undertook a Carnegie Trust scholarship when I was a student and travelled to Brussels and Copenhagen as part of my research, my dissertation, and it fills me with horror to think that my children may not have the same advantages that I had in terms of freedom of movement and the ability to take advantage of going to other countries in that way. However, in terms of Chris Skidmore, the minister, I think that the member missed his opportunity. He was here just last week, and he visited some institutions in Glasgow. He has said to me, of course, as indeed the Scottish Conservatives today have said, that he is very sympathetic to the arguments that were made in relation to both the Erasmus and the Erasmus in 2020 and other dimensions of the Brexit debate. However, of course, even he is reliant on the Home Office, the Treasury and the Prime Minister and all the chaos at the heart of the Conservative Government to try to get some clarity and take the right decisions moving forward. Ultimately, that is what would require to get the right decisions for Scotland. Jamie Greene, to be followed by Willie Coffey. I continue in the same constructive tone in candor as my colleague Liz Smith today. The minister, as indicated in the statement, mentioned some of the announcements made in the spring statement yesterday, namely those around PhD-level occupations being exempt from the Tier 2 cap. I could also mention newly updated rules on the 100-night-a-day absences concerning researchers conducting fieldwork overseas to then apply to settle in the UK. Will the minister acknowledge and perhaps even welcome some of those shifts and the willingness to listen to the concerns from across this chamber but also outwith? I have no doubt in the minister's capabilities in being quite forthcoming with his views with the minister on his next meeting in London. I think that the changes announced yesterday, as I said, are a small and necessary step forward, which of course I welcomed. I think that it is very, very important to convey to the chamber that this is a very small part of a much bigger picture. If you take the £30,000 cap, for instance, in terms of the immigration policy from the UK Government, as any institution will tell you, that will cover a small percentage of the researchers who come from other European countries to study their work in this country. Many earn far below £30,000, and it is not just them, it is their spouses as well. They may come with a spouse who is in a lower wage than them, and they would not be able to get into the country without some difficulty as well. Of course, the issue over the fact that the temporary right to remain in terms of three years, not four years, to address the needs of the Scottish degree is another thing that has to absolutely urgently be addressed. If those issues are addressed, of course I will welcome them, but we have a long way to go before severe damage is inflicted on Scottish further and higher education from the UK Government's immigration policy. Willie Coffey, you could the minister just clarify the action that the Scottish Government has taken and may take to support Scottish students who might be unable to complete their studies at an EU university. You mentioned fees and medical care in particular earlier on. Will they still be able to complete their studies at those EU universities if we can possibly bring that about? Again, we do not know what is going to happen in terms of this week's votes in Westminster over the next few weeks, up to the end of the month. If there is no deal, I should clarify that Scottish students in the EU at the moment, who are full-time undergraduate students, will then become international students and will potentially lose their rights. That could have devastating consequences and if there is no deal, there is a whole range of costs that could be incurred making it completely untenable and unaffordable for Scottish undergraduate students currently at EU institutions to continue their studies. That is why we are keen today to emphasise the assurance to them that, if they require in very horrific circumstances to have to come back to Scotland to continue their studies here, they will be entitled to all the necessary support that Scottish students get and will make sure that that is made available to them. I apologise to Jenny Marra and Tom Arthur, but that runs us out of time for our statement on the update of the impact on Brexit on further and higher education. We are going to move on now to the next item of business, which is a debate on motion 16312, in the name of Ivan McKee, on building on Scotland's strengths in technology and engineering to become Europe's largest space nation. I invite all members who wish to participate in the debate to press their request to speak buttons as soon as possible.