University spending cuts 'could be lethal' says academic

Spending cuts in higher education could prove "lethal" if they continue, one of Scotland's most senior academics has warned.

Professor Bernard King, principal and vice-chancellor of Abertay University in Dundee, yesterday repeated his warning that the Scottish Government's budget plans for next year would leave universities 67 million worse off.

He said: "This is a cut that universities will find extremely difficult to live with for one year.

"And if it were to be repeated in the following years, the effect on the scale, scope and impact of Scottish higher education could be lethal."

Prof King, who is also convener of higher education umbrella body Universities Scotland, said that was "not a sustainable situation", adding that "difficult questions" needed to be asked about how the sector would be funded in the longer term.

Education secretary Mike Russell has already announced that the whole question of university funding is to be examined in a green paper.