Brexit Assessments

The request was successful.

Dear University of the Highlands and Islands,

This is a Freedom of Information request. I am interested in information from held by your organisation that relates to the process of planning and preparing for a possible future when the UK may not be a member of the European Union ("Brexit").

In particular:

1. How much has been spent on external consultants or support to advise on the implications and consequences of brexit, or recommend actions to mitigate any possible brexit impacts? If spend has occurred, please confirm the name of the supplier or suppliers and copies of any material produced by this process.

2. Please supply copies of any brexit planning documentation held by the organisation or consumed by senior management. This may include, but should not be limited to, Risk Assessments, Action Plans, Meeting minutes, Reports and presentations.

3. Please supply technical or advisory briefing documentation on brexit that has been produced by the organisation and supplied to other government agencies or bodies.

4. Please supply copies of any technical or advisory documentation that has been supplied to the agency from other public bodies that relates to Brexit contingency planning.

5. Please supply details of any assessment that has been made of the financial impact on the organisation, either positive or negative, of the brexit process. Has the organisation set-aside a contingency fund or invested as a direct consequence of the brexit process? If so, please provide summary details.

Please provide the requested information in electronic format. I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Yours faithfully,

Ally Tibbitt

FOI, University of the Highlands and Islands

Dear Ally

RE: Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information

Thank you for your enquiry, which has been logged and passed to the relevant department within the University for processing. Please quote reference number FOI 099 should you need to contact the University regarding this request.

A response will be sent to you promptly and in any case not later than 20 working days after the date we received your email.

The University will make every effort to provide you with the information requested; if any clarification is required, the University will contact you as soon as possible. In some circumstances, it may not be possible to provide you with an answer to your enquiry. Where the University believes this is the case, you will be informed in writing, stating the reason(s). If the information you are seeking is already published by the University, or is otherwise available to members of the public, you will be sent details outlining how to access the information. You will be advised if it is necessary for the University to charge a fee to cover the costs of processing your request. Should this be the case, please note the information cannot be released until such payment is received.

If you have any questions regarding your request for information then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Christine Shaw
Corporate Governance Officer
DDI / Fòn: 01847 889380
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Roger Sendall, University of the Highlands and Islands

24 Attachments

Dear Mr Tibbitt

Re: Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Request for Information

I refer to your request for information received on 24th September 2018 relating to information held by the University of the Highlands and Islands about the process of planning and preparing for a possible future when the UK may not be a member of the European Union "Brexit", request number 099.

"In particular:

1. How much has been spent on external consultants or support to advise on the implications and consequences of brexit, or recommend actions to mitigate any possible brexit impacts? If spend has occurred, please confirm the name of the supplier or suppliers and copies of any material produced by this process.
2. Please supply copies of any brexit planning documentation held by the organisation or consumed by senior management. This may include, but should not be limited to, Risk Assessments, Action Plans, Meeting minutes, Reports and presentations.
3. Please supply technical or advisory briefing documentation on brexit that has been produced by the organisation and supplied to other government agencies or bodies.
4. Please supply copies of any technical or advisory documentation that has been supplied to the agency from other public bodies that relates to Brexit contingency planning.
5. Please supply details of any assessment that has been made of the financial impact on the organisation, either positive or negative, of the brexit process. Has the organisation set-aside a contingency fund or invested as a direct consequence of the brexit process? If so, please provide summary details."

The University of the Highlands and Islands operates as a collegiate federal partnership comprising of thirteen independent further and higher education colleges, specialist colleges and research institutions. A list of contact details for our partner organisations is available at http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/campuses and further information about the University is available online at http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en

Our Response

The result of the referendum for the UK to leave the EU has severe implications for both the higher and further education sectors and for the Highlands & Islands as a region.
EU funding has levered in around £200m for the University of the Highlands and Islands network over the past 20 years and the potential risk of losing access to EU funding as well as invaluable exchange of good practice with transnational partners is a matter of concern for the University that requires careful consideration and extensive planning.

In response to your specific queries:

1. The University of the Highlands and Islands has not incurred any costs on external consultants or advice in relation to preparing the institution for Brexit. The University has internal expertise on EU engagement, which has been used for this purpose.

2. The University holds a large amount of information in connection with preparing for Brexit that falls within the scope of your request and we have limited the amount of information provided with this response in order to avoid excessive costs and to ensure that you receive a proportionate response in relation to the particular information identified within your request. I trust that this is acceptable.

Please note that in accordance with Section 12 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act the University is not obliged to disclose the information requested when the cost of doing so exceeds £600.

The following documents are provided as attachments.

2.1 Briefing note - Impact of the UK referendum decision to leave the EU

2.2 UHI EO Brexit Risk Analysis - paper for SMT

2.3 Impact of Brexit - paper for Academic Council

2.4 Brexit timeline for DSW

2.5 Example powerpoint for an academic partner

2.6 SMT Brexit Update - 1st October 2018

3. The University has been actively engaged in various Brexit external initiatives, working groups and consultations.

Please refer to the following attached documents:
3.1 Submission to the Scottish Parliament European & External Relations Committee

3.2 Submission to Universities UK enquiry

3.3 Submission to Scottish Funding Council with proposal for revised budget in response to Brexit

3.4 Contribution to Universities Scotland paper on Industrial Strategy and Shared Prosperity Fund

3.5 Co-author of report on EU Cooperation and Innovation - Delivering Value from our European Partnerships

3.6 Submission to Scottish Parliament Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee's European Structural and Investment Funds inquiry.

3.7 Briefing note to BBC for investigation on Brexit and science/TV interview

3.8 Contribution to MillionPlus Brexit blog

3.9 Submission to UK Parliament All-Party Parliamentary Group on Post Brexit Funding consultation

3.10 Submission to European Commission consultation on FP9 Synergy with Regional Policy

3.11 Briefing for meeting by UHI Vice Chancellor and Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations

4. The university has gathered a significant resource of background material on Brexit from various regional, national and EU organisations, including attached:

4.1 Scotland Europa EU Issue Trackers - example attached

4.2 Times Higher Education Brexit articles - example attached

4.3 Powerpoint presentation by the Economic Development Association Scotland

4.4 Powerpoint presentation at Highlands and Islands European Partnership on Brexit implications for H&I agriculture

4.5 Brexit - the way forward or backwards, a Norwegian Perspective

4.6 Universities Scotland response to the Migration Advisory Committee Call for Evidence on EEA workers in the UK

4.7 Brexit Forum on Universities Overview

5. The university has received significant amounts of EU funding, particularly through the Structural Funds but also including a wide range of transnational and inter-regional programmes. We have, therefore, maintained a close watch on emerging details of how Brexit might affect this funding in current and future programmes. We were pleased to receive UK and Scottish Government guarantees on current programme funding, including the potential no-deal scenario, however, we are continuing to monitor developments on future access to these programmes or their replacements.
Assessment of the financial impact is a continuing process and high level financial analysis is contained within the documents provided as part of this response. Some more detailed information has been withheld in accordance with Section 33(10(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act where it is considered that its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the University's commercial interests.

Copyright

Please note that copyright in the information you have been given belongs to the university. Copyright material must not be copied, distributed, modified, reproduced, transmitted, published (including published on the Internet or an intranet), or otherwise made available in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the copyright holder or as expressly permitted under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998. Should the university agree to give consent to the use of the information, then the university must be credited as having done so.

Your right to seek a review of our decision

If you are not satisfied with our response or our reasoning set-out above, you have forty working days in which to request a review of our decision. Any request should be put in writing and should be sent to me at the address detailed at the bottom of this email. Your request should:
(a) describe the nature of your original request; and
(b) explain the reasons why you are not satisfied with our response.
If you remain dissatisfied with how your request for information has been dealt with, you also have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether we have handled your request properly.

Information relating to your right to seek review is available from the Scottish Information Commissioner's web page at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/faqs.... or by contacting the Scottish Information Commissioner's Office at the following address:
Scottish Information Commissioner,
Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road,
St Andrews,
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611
E-mail: [email address]
Website: www.itspublicknowledge.info
www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

Finally, should you wish to discuss the contents of this response then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Roger Sendall MSc ACIS MAUA

Head of Governance & Records Management | Ceannard Riaghlaidh is Rianachd Chlàran
University of the Highlands and Islands, Executive Office, Ness Walk, Inverness IV3 5SQ

Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean, Oifis Stiùridh,Slighe a Nis, Inbhir Nis IV3 5SQ

DDI: +44 (0) 1463 279371 | Switchboard: +44 (0) 1463 279000 | Fax: +44 (0) 1463 279001
Email: [email address] | Web: www.uhi.ac.uk

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Registered office: 12b Ness Walk, Inverness IV3 5SQ

Your message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:

3.5 Scotland Europa Report Final Jan18.pdf
3.6 180413 EP EJFWC ESIF enquiry UHI response v3.pdf
3.7 161024 BBC Brexit and science v2.pdf
3.8 170911 MillionPlus Brexit Blog.pdf
3.9 180913 APPG Post Brexit Funding UHI response.pdf
3.10 180205 FP9 synergy with regional policy.pdf
3.11 171027 Brexit briefing for SG meeting.pdf
4.1 171113 Sc Eu Brexit Issue Tracker.pdf
4.2 180111 THE intl students.pdf
4.3 180419 EDAS Brexit SLIDES 19.04.18 (002).pdf
4.4 Brexit implications for HI agriculture 190418.pdf
4.5 Brexit-rapporten_engelsk_24[1].pdf
4.6 Universities Scotland response to MAC EEA Workers.pdf
4.7 Overview - Brexit.pdf
2.1 Briefing note - Impact of UK leaving the European Union.pdf
2.2 UHI BREXIT Risk Analysis final.pdf
2.3 161207 AC Brexit update v3.pdf
2.4 170208 Brexit timeline for DSW.pdf
2.5 180425 SMO Brexit update.pdf
2.6 181001 UHI Brexit impact update summary.pdf
3.1 160909 SP EERC UHI Brexit Impact Summary.pdf
3.2 160928 UUK Brexit ESIF UHI analysis.pdf
3.3 160921 SFC DSW UHI Brexit proposal revised v7.pdf
3.4 DRAFT Industrial Strategy and SPF (002) LS edit.pdf

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