Latest updates
Information Systems and Technology
UK Government pledges £800 million to build ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has unveiled a major investment package aimed at strengthening Oxford and Cambridge as leading centres for innovation and economic growth. Funding for the cities will rise from £400 million to £800 million, with the money earmarked for land purchases, infrastructure, as well as the development of housing, advanced research facilities and workspaces.
A government source highlighted the desire “to have the Silicon Valley of Europe here in Britain”, with the announcement following a series of investments in the “Oxford–Cambridge corridor”.
The Chancellor is expected to outline further plans for a development corporation in Greater Oxford, aimed at driving economic growth in the area. Similar initiatives have seen success in locations such as Canary Wharf and Stratford. The new body will seek to accelerate regeneration and ensure the effective delivery of new projects.
You can read more here.
UK Government launches AI apprenticeship scheme
The UK Government has unveiled a new AI apprenticeship scheme to upskill millions of workers in emerging technologies, as research suggests the number of jobs directly involving AI could reach 3.9 million by 2035.
The AI and automation practitioner apprenticeship, developed by Skills England, is designed to help businesses increase productivity and ensure the safe, responsible implementation of AI, while addressing real-world barriers to growth. During the programme, apprentices will be trained to spot where AI and automation can streamline operations, lower costs and enhance performance, including by eliminating duplicated data entries and routine manual work.
The new apprenticeship forms part of a wider government AI skills training initiative, which also features a new apprenticeship unit integrated into the AI Skills Boost programme. These apprenticeship units, delivered in collaboration with major tech companies such as Amazon, Google, IBM and Salesforce, are short courses lasting from one to 16 weeks, designed to help adults in the workplace to build expertise in specific areas and tackle particular skill gaps.
All adults in the UK can access these free courses, which aim to support the government’s goal of equipping 10 million workers with essential AI skills by 2030.
You can read more here.
Estate and Environments
Estates and Environment (Scottish Property)
Scottish investment volumes hit £387m in Q1
Scottish commercial property investment reached £387m in Q1 2026, around 16% below the recent average as geopolitical uncertainty - particularly the conflict in the Middle East - caused investors to delay decisions. Despite this slowdown, buyers continued to favour high quality, low risk assets, resulting in an elevated average deal size of £16m.
Several significant transactions supported activity, including the Hanover Buildings in Edinburgh (£23.4m); the Bond building in Glasgow (over £15m); and Cuckoo Bridge Retail Park in Dumfries (£26.5m). Retail remained the most active sector, attracting £216m. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and listed property companies led the market, while international investors were largely cautious.
Knight Frank noted that rising oil prices, interest rate uncertainty and higher financing costs continue to challenge pricing negotiations. However, prime assets in Edinburgh and Glasgow remain resilient, and Aberdeen offers value for investors aligned with its energy focused economy. The outlook for the rest of 2026 will depend heavily on how global geopolitical risks evolve.
You can read more here.
Savills: Trends in higher and further education real estate in 2026
More divestment activity is to follow in the higher education sector this year, as well as merger activity; greater but more diverse international emphasis; and increased specialisation.
The UK’s higher and further education sectors are expected to face continued pressures in 2026, but many institutions are now moving from planning to implementation. In higher education, recent estate reviews have given universities a clearer understanding of how their buildings and campuses are used. This is leading to more decisive actions, including the sale of under used assets, potential mergers, increased international activity, and a shift toward more defined areas of specialisation.
Industry collaboration is also expected to grow. Supported by government priorities around economic growth, universities are likely to form more structured partnerships with businesses to support research and development. These collaborations will require flexible spaces such as incubators, laboratories, and adaptable offices.
In further education, the sector’s role in delivering technical and vocational training continues to expand, particularly through initiatives such as Technical Centres of Excellence and the Post 16 Education and Skills Strategy. However, wider funding remains limited. As a result, FE institutions may rely more on shared training delivery with employers and closer alignment with local economic needs to manage pressure on their estates.
You can read more here.
Covid cases – UCL settlement and more threats of claims
In February, University College London (“UCL”) were reported to have paid out around £21m to students due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This comes at a time where the university sector as a whole is facing severe financial challenges.
It is anticipated that further claims could be submitted to universities across the UK. It has been reported that pre-action claim letters have been sent to 36 universities across in England and Wales, including Bath, Cardiff and Exeter.
The first claim, between approximately 5,000 former students, was settled in February 2026. However, Harcus Parker solicitors, who are jointly representing the students, stated that since the UCL settlement was published, around 30,000 additional claimants who attended universities during the pandemic have joined the Student Group Claim.
The legal basis for the claim falls on the fact that online teaching provided during the pandemic cost universities less than the in-person experience which students were promised.
This may be the end for UCL, but it may have triggered a domino effect of potential group claims against universities in the UK. However, under the Limitation Act 1980, students will need to act quickly with the window to take legal action for the 2020-21 academic year closing in September 2026.
You can read more here.
Scottish Ministers v Scottish Information Commissioner [2026] CSIH 15
The Inner House overturned a decision by the Scottish Information Commissioner which had ordered the Scottish Ministers to release documents that were protected by legal professional privilege. These were documents relating to legal advice and preparations for previous litigation.
A member of the public had requested information connected to an investigation into whether the former First Minister had breached the Ministerial Code. Ministers released some redacted material but withheld certain documents on the basis that they contained privileged legal advice. The Commissioner accepted that the information was privileged but decided it should still be disclosed in the public interest.
The Inner House Court disagreed. It found that:
- Once information is legally privileged, the nature or description of that material does not reduce the strength of the privilege. Internal legal advice and communications prepared for litigation remain fully protected.
- Privilege does not end just because the case it relates to has. The court stressed that the purpose of legal privilege is to ensure clients, whether individuals or public bodies, can obtain full legal advice. If privileged advice could later be made public, it would discourage openness and undermine the justice system.
- There was no clear or compelling reason in the public interest to override legal professional privilege. Even though the underlying subject matter attracted public attention, that did not justify releasing confidential legal advice, especially where the advice related only indirectly to the investigation.
The court emphasised that legal professional privilege works as a safeguard for both private individuals and public authorities. While Freedom of Information legislation allows for exceptions, a very strong and specific justification is needed to override privilege, and none existed here.
The appeal was allowed and the privileged material did not need to be disclosed.
You can read more here.
Estates and Environment (Planning)
Chief Planner letter reflects on planning workforce developments and investment
The Chief Planner has reflected on key achievements in the planning sector over the past year and has set out its upcoming initiatives expected over the course of 2026.
In particular, the Scottish Government launched its Future Planners Programme and welcomed 17 student planners with the goal of counteracting expected future workforce capacity concerns. By the end of 2027, it is expected that students will have undertaken a postgraduate degree in planning at the University of Dundee, Heriot-Watt University, or the University of Glasgow across various government areas of planning policy. This includes the Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Directorate, Energy Consents Unit and the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division.
The Scottish Government has also made funding available for the 2025/26 academic year in the form of planning bursaries which are designed to support around 30 students with their tuition fees or living expenses for their postgraduate study. The Chief Planner has confirmed that an investment of around £150,000 will be made available again for the 2026/27 period to provide students with direct funding access.
You can read more here.
HR Issues
Scottish universities in crisis seeking £200 million emergency cash
Scottish universities are facing a severe financial crisis, with eight institutions seeking over £200 million in savings. This has already cost 1,000 staff members their jobs since 2024, and another 2,200 roles could still be cut. Major institutions like the University of Edinburgh are seeing the biggest hits. Unions say the crisis was caused by years of underfunding and a drop in international students, and they are now striking at six different campuses in protest, including Edinburgh, Strathclyde, and Aberdeen. The main union (UCU) is calling for an "emergency cash injection" from the government and warns that, without it, the quality of education will suffer and more courses will be scrapped.
You can read more here.
What the Employment Rights Act 2025 means for higher education
The Employment Rights Act 2025 received royal assent on 18 December 2025 and introduces substantial reforms to UK employment law. Below is an overview of the key changes which will have implications on the higher education sector:
Trade union access: The most immediate and far-reaching changes for universities relate to trade union law, with reforms designed to make industrial action easier to organise and sustain.
From 18 February 2026, the threshold for a valid industrial action ballot has been lowered and the notice period unions must give before taking action has been shortened from 14 to 10 days. Mandates for industrial action have also increased from six to 12 months. This means it will be easier and quicker for unions to secure a mandate for strikes or other industrial action. Voting papers have also been simplified, meaning a trade union only needs to ask its members to vote on “strike action” or “action short of a strike”.
Electronic balloting for trade union industrial action is expected to come into force in August.
From 1 October 2026, there will also be automatic protection from detriment of a “prescribed ground” on grounds of protected industrial action which removes the 12-week limit. Employers will also be required to inform new employees of their right to join a trade union and there will be a right to request access to workplaces both physically and digitally for recruitment and organising and a corresponding duty on employers to respond to requests for access. Stronger rights to paid time off for union duties will be introduced, with a presumption that the employee’s view of what is “reasonable” prevails unless the employer can demonstrate otherwise.
Unfair dismissal: From 2027, staff will only need six months’ service (down from two years ) to claim unfair dismissal and the maximum cap on compensation will be removed. This means universities could face higher numbers of claims and much bigger payouts in successful unfair dismissal claims.
Zero hours and casual contracts: Introduction of right to request guaranteed hours, proper notice of shifts, and compensation for cancelled shifts. This will have an impact where you rely heavily on zero hours or casual contracts. These measures won’t be brought in until 2027.
Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023: This was repealed in December 2025 and means that employers can no longer compel named staff to work during lawful industrial action.
Sexual harassment: From October 2026, employers will be required to take “all” reasonable steps, not just “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of staff, with regulations to follow on what this means in practice. At the same time, employers will become liable for harassment of staff by third parties (such as students, visitors or contractors) across all protected characteristics, unless they can show they took all reasonable steps to prevent it.
Fire and rehire: Also from October 2026, dismissing and re-hiring staff to force through changes to pay, hours, leave or benefits will be automatically unfair unless the employer can prove it is facing severe financial trouble.
You can read more here.
Upcoming Consultations
Support for part-time study and disabled students: Survey for the Higher Education and Further Education sector, training providers, third sector and interested organisations – consultation closed on 9 October 2025. Feedback was published in March 2026 which can be found here.
Consultation for Compulsory Purchase Reform in Scotland to simplify rules to make it easier and simpler to improve land and buildings. The Scottish Government is also exploring whether powers to require disused property to be sold or leased would be helpful – consultation closed on 19 December 2025.
Key Legislative and Regulatory Changes
Royal Assent Received
SUMMARY OF CHANGE
Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025
The Bill proposes measures will apply to land over 1,000 hectares, prohibiting sales in some cases until Ministers consider the impact on the local community.
WHEN
The Bill received Royal Assent on 16 December 2025.
SUMMARY OF CHANGE
Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill
The Bill has three key parts. Part 1 confers powers and duties on the SFC in respect of funding and securing the delivery of national training programmes, Scottish apprenticeships, and work-based learning. Part 2 of the Bill looks to amend the governance structure of the SFC, altering the arrangements for re-appointing members of the SFC Board (such as conferring on SFC the power to co-opt two additional members). Part 3 clarifies the process for providing student support to Scottish students studying at private institutions in the UK.
WHEN
The Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 20 January 2026 and became an Act on 11 March 2026.
Pending
SUMMARY OF CHANGE
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The Bill prohibits the sale of tobacco to those born on or after 1 January 2009 and allows for product requirements to be imposed in connection with tobacco, vapes, and similar products.
WHEN
The Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 5 November 2024 and is currently at the consideration of amendments stage.
SUMMARY OF CHANGE
Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill
The Bill introduces a new tax, called the Scottish Building Safety Levy, to be charged on construction or conversion of residential property developments, with some exceptions.
WHEN
The Bill has passed and is currently waiting Royal Assent.
This bulletin is for information purposes only and should not be regarded as legal advice but if you would like further information on any aspect please get in touch with any of the contacts below.
