SNP MSP Gillian Martin says the task before him is significantly easier given that there are no tuition fees.

Ms Martin asks if this will make widening access easier to achieve.

Image source, Thinkstock

Prof Scott says free tuition does make for fairer access.

He says we have to be careful not to assume that free tuition solves the problem, it is just the starting point. 

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Ross Thomson ask if the commissioner will be robust in his dealings with the Scottish government.

Prof Scott says he is very determined to maintain his independence and if the Scottish government have any doubt on that front they have not done their preparatory work.

Tory MSP Ross Thomson asks if best practice can be learned from other areas in the UK. 

Prof Scott says it is a key area and comparisons across the UK is very valuable. 

Labour MSP Daniel Johnson asks how much Prof Scott will be looking a student support and what he thinks of the Diamond Review.

Prof Scott says the Diamond Review is a very interesting experiment and it is important to emphasize student support.

Commissioner for Fair Access Professor Peter Scott says the person applying to university must have a better understanding of the admission process.

With contextualised admission, the applicant with higher grades must understand why someone with fewer points is being accepted says Prof Scott.

He says apart from UCAS points it is pretty opaque.

Greens MSP Ross Greer asks about the definition of fair access. 

Prof Scott says it is a broad question because there are many definitions of fairness which are often at odds with one another.

He says it is unfair that people do not have access to university because of their financial background but it will also be unfair if others lose out due to the focus on one group of people. 

He says he will have some frank debate around fairness and what it means.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott asks if the week he plans to stay in Scotland is insufficient will he seek more?

Professor Scott says he would seek more, but he has other commitments.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott asks the hours Prof Scott is contracted to do. 

Prof Scott says he is contracted to 3-5 days per month but it will take more than that.

He says he will spend 3-5 days per months present in Scotland and probably the same again researching issues. 

Tory MSP Liz Smith asks where there are already strengths and where the particular weaknesses are. 

Prof Scott says the strengths are in bridging the gap. 

He says articulation can be improved.

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Liz Smith says the data set is extremely important in tackling this issue.

Commissioner for Fair Access Professor Peter Scott says there is a lot of data but it is not always presented in a helpful form.

Ms Smith says the commissioner is right that nobody has the divine right to go to university.

She says if we go down the road of more consistent contextualised admissions and asks if more needs to be done to allow universities to have a better understanding of the source of data

The commissioner says: "Yes I think that is absolutely true and I think Dame Ruth Silver is right we should trust the professionals"

Committee convener James Dornan raises the issue of the SMDI measurement of deprivation.

The professor says there are strong links between areas of deprivation and lower performing schools, with fewer graduates living in these areas.

Prof Scott says the work Universities Scotland is undertaking looking at these areas and its scepticism

Image source, bbc

Prof Scott uses his submission to say achieving fair access should be a strategic goal for all institutions. 

The academic says although their individual policies will inevitably differ, fair access should never be a peripheral concern - or seen as a task predominantly for only a sub-set of institutions.

The Commissioner for Fair Access says although inequalities in access reflect deeper structural inequalities and can only be fully addressed by longer-term changes in attitudes and aspirations, it is important to maintain a sense of urgency by focusing on challenging but achievable goals and also to ensure that all policies, across Government, are access-proofed.   

He says we must all strive for more fairness in access to universities.

Professor Peter Scott says there are many great examples of good practice across Scotland.

Prof Scott says he will be open and frank about his findings but he is not pre-judging any issue.

He says student support and funding is an issue. 

Prof Scott says fair access is "pushing at an open door", and no-one believes there should not be fair access for all. 

Image source, bbc

Commissioner for Fair Access Professor Peter Scott is now in the hot seat.

Commissioner for Fair Access Professor Peter Scott will now give evidence to the committee. 

In its Blueprint for Fairness report, published in March 2016, external, the Commission on Widening Access recommended that the Scottish government appoint a Commissioner for Fair Access to:

Image source, Commission on Widening Access

Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Gillian Martin asks about young carers and the issues they face in getting into higher education. 

Professor Petra Wend from the Commission On Widening Access says the commission wants to look at part timers, adult learners and carers.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott asks about concerns between SDS and schools.

Maureen McKenna from the Commission On Widening Access says  SDS must go much further down the school, with interventions needed at a much, much earlier stage.

She says SDS is not flexible enough.

Image source, bbc

Commission On Widening Access chair Dame Ruth Silver says she told the Open University it should be ashamed of being so modest and that it was doing fantastic work.

Tory MSP Ross Thomson asks Dame Ruth if  as the commissioner is she able to challenge government.

Dame Ruth says she is not the commissioner and he is behind her!

We'll hear from Professor Peter Scott in just a moment.