To ask the Minister for the Economy (i) for her assessment of the £15 million deficit created by the multi-campus model of Ulster University; (ii) whether she has any plans to fund this deficit; and (iii) what impact this deficit will have for regional balance of higher education in Northern Ireland.

I acknowledge Ulster University’s assertion that its multi-campus model gives rise to additional costs, which it estimates to be in the region of £15 million.

Ulster University is an autonomous body and as such, its campus locations are a matter for the University. However, my Department is working on reviewing the distributive model used to fund the local institutions through the teaching grant allocation. As part of this work, my Department is looking at ways in which the distributive model can better reflect our strategic aims. Consideration may therefore be given to the development of an approach to funding allocation which also takes into account the costs of delivery.

In relation to any impact of the additional costs on the regional balance of higher education in Northern Ireland, Ulster University’s finances are managed at an institutional, not campus level, and as an autonomous body, responsibility for the strategic use of these finances lies with the University.