Universities: Student Immigration System

Baroness Gardner of Parkes Excerpts

Tuesday 15th February 2011 Lords Chamber

[Earl Attlee]

My Lords, I very much hope that Malaysian students will not be disadvantaged in the way that the noble and learned Baroness suggests. She can tell them that she will be able to attack me in the House if we get this wrong. We had 31,000 responses to the consultation, many of them online. Our first task is to analyse those responses. We are grateful for the responses from academia.

[Baroness Gardner of Parkes]

As the Minister will know, citizens of the original Commonwealth countries cannot come here on Commonwealth scholarships any more, because these are not awarded. However, reputable universities can still get visas without any trouble for students who are doing important courses; I think that the Malaysians would be in this category. Is this not aimed more at stopping pseudo-students who are not intending to come to study? In the past, many never even appeared at some of these so-called colleges.

[Earl Attlee]

My Lords, my noble friend is absolutely right in all respects.