Diamond’s research proposals for Wales ‘not off the agenda’

Kirsty Williams, education secretary in the Welsh government, has said that she would implement proposals for research outlined in Ian Diamond’s review of higher education funding.

Speaking at an event in Cardiff on 7 December, Williams said that although her priority was to change student support, she was still planning to take forward Diamond’s recommendations to create postgraduate research scholarships and boost knowledge exchange activities in Wales. “I’m not cherry-picking,” she said.

Asked what progress had been made on securing Treasury approval for Diamond’s student support proposals—which include replacing tuition-fee grants with loans and introducing means-tested maintenance grants—Williams said that the indicators had so far “been positive”.