Dispensation for Members of the Scottish Funding Council

24th April 2025

Following a request to do so, the Standards Commission has decided to grant a dispensation to allow Scottish Funding Council (SFC) Board Members who are engaged with the further and higher education institutions and other institutions or organisations the SFC funds, which are related to the further and higher education sectors, in the following ways:

• as Members and / or Chairs of university and college Courts or Boards;
• as employees of universities and colleges
• as having honorary professorships, fellowships, are fellows, or other similar roles;
• as a Principal/Vice Chancellor of a university or college;
• as Members of university and college committees;
• engaged as contractor working for universities and colleges,

to enable them to take part in discussions and decision-making that could affect the organisation or institution, without being required to declare an interest as someone engaged with the organisation or institution in the capacity outlined above.

The Standards Commission was of the view that it was within the spirit and intent of the Model Code of Conduct for Members of Devolved Public Bodies to grant the dispensation. In reaching this decision, the Standards Commission considered that any potential personal benefit to individual Members, or any perception of such, would be outweighed by the clear public interest in the SFC being able to benefit from their experience and expertise. The Standards Commission notes that the SFC’s Finance Committee considers any more detailed, commercially sensitive information about the institutions it funds and provide advice to its Board, enabling the Board to focus on the key strategic issues.

The Standards Commission notes that SFC Members would still be required to declare any additional personal interests, in accordance with Section 5 of the SFC Members’ Code of Conduct. The Code also requires SFC Members to:

• act in the SFC’s best interests when acting as a SFC member (including in any discussions and decision-making);
• declare interests, in terms of Section 5;
• record any interests as required by Section 4; and
• maintain confidentiality and collective responsibility, as required by Section 3.