At a lengthy session of Dundee City Council committees tonight:
* At Education Committee, I asked questions about the proposal to move to a standardised 33 period week across the city's secondary schools. Specifically, I asked about the provision of physical education should such a proposal be implemented and I also sought assurances relative to the proposed Harris Academy decant - due from 2013-16 - to enable the Harris rebuilding project.
* At City Development Committee, I sought assurances that the Hunter Street car parking improvement project - that would create additional parking facilities near to the University of Dundee campus - thus relieving car parking problems across the West End - will go ahead. I also welcomed use of the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund to create the long-awaited pedestrian bridge from Seabraes to Riverside - something I have long campaigned for. I also asked questions about improved gully cleaning operations across Dundee and had a question about improving winter maintenance operations.
* At Policy & Resources Committee, I presented the following motion :
"Dundee City Council notes, with concern, the request made last week to the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay Dundee, by the Scottish Funding Council, that the two universities commence talks to consider the possible merger of the City’s two universities.
The City Council recognises that it would be highly detrimental to the City of Dundee if the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay Dundee, were forced to merge.
The City Council further recognises that both our universities are dynamic institutions but their focus is rightly different and they complement one another. That would be lost by a forced merger, with a detrimental impact on the availability and diversity of course provision.
The City Council also notes, with concern, the potential for job losses caused by such a merger.
Dundee City Council makes clear its outright and unequivocal opposition to the merger of the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay Dundee.
It therefore instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Mike Russell MSP, and to the Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, Mark Batho, making clear the City Council’s outright opposition to a merger of the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay Dundee."
An excellent deputation representing students at the University of Abertay made an excellent case against the merger proposals. They made the point that councillors should put party politics aside in the interests of higher education in Dundee.
In that spirit, the Labour Group motion and mine were combined and we were also grateful for the support of the Conservatives and the Lord Provost. The SNP ignored the request to put party politics aside and moved a motion critical of the Westminster Government - an unfortunate approach as the moves to merge Dundee's two universities is entirely driven by Scottish Ministers, Alex Salmond down.
But the SNP City Council Group motion did say they strongly support the continued status of both universities as independent and autonomous institutions. They will be held to that and perhaps they might like to let Mike Russell, SNP Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, know that they support the independence of our two Dundee universities as his actions last week suggested that he does not.