MORE clarity is needed on the impact of controversial legislation aimed at reforming the college and university sector, MSPs have said.

The Scottish Parliament's education committee backed the SNP's Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill, but said support was "qualified" because of concerns raised during scrutiny of the legislation.

The bill, put forward by the Scottish Government, includes provision for college regionalisation, which has already led to a raft of mergers across the country. It aims to widen access to higher education and limit fees for students from the rest of the UK.

The bill also paves the way for a new code of conduct to cover university governance. Committee members back its underlying aims, but have "concerns about aspects of the proposed legislation".

Convener Stewart Maxwell said: "The Scottish Government must provide clarity on some aspects of the bill, particularly in relation to regionalisation.

"We have also asked for further information on how the new college structures will work in practice and the underlying principles behind its planned reform of college boards."

A number of organisations questioned if legislation was necessary in certain areas. Some university chairs argue that a cap on fees for students from the rest of the UK is unnecessary, while concerns were also raised that the bill would seriously erode the autonomy of universities.