Higher Education Regulatory Approach

Lord Mann Excerpts

Tuesday 21st January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I will limit myself to the provisions on non-disclosure agreements within this legislation. It is our intention to commence the ban on non-disclosure agreements for staff and students at higher education providers in cases of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct. The other provisions and requirements will ensure that we do not see a situation where people are being silenced when they actually need to be involved in serious consideration, with the ability to take their concerns externally to a complaints system if they are dissatisfied with what is happening within the institution.

[Lord Mann (Lab)]

The Minister will recall that I advised strongly when she was first appointed that she takes her time to get this right, considering my remit on anti-Semitism, because getting this right is essential. I commend the removal of the tort. I have met every single university leader in this country as part of my remit, and in every discussion I have advised them to de-lawyer the situation and resolve it within the universities.

My question to the Minister is referenced directly in the Statement. The Government still have available a £2 million innovation fund for dealing with anti-Semitism. Would the Minister look very seriously at how some of that fund could be used creatively to spread the good practice on how to have difficult conversations that has been developing over the last year in a number of our universities, so that those who are succeeding in doing that can do more of it and spread their expertise to further types of difficult conversations, and to other universities and beyond?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for his advice at the point at which we were making the decision and for his ongoing commitment to ensuring we are tackling anti-Semitism widely in higher education. I undertake to consider the use of that element of the £7 million of funding that the Government have made available on anti-Semitism for precisely that purpose.

Education (Values of British Citizenship) Bill [HL]

Lord Mann Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 18th October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Mann (Lab)]

My Lords, I have three minutes and three points. First, I was last a school pupil in 1977. This House is ahead of the Commons on this issue, but we are both well behind the times and get so by the day, never mind by the year. Five hours ago, Mr Musk launched a website, where he is paying any registered voter in Pennsylvania $100 to sign up to his charter and hand over their data, and a further $100 for recruiting another registered voter. That may be, in the short term, a political electoral attempt to do something, but behind and beyond it is something far more fundamental in trying to mould people’s views. This Bill, which is an excellent initiative, refers to the UK Youth Parliament, which is asked to feed back. Frankly, I am curious, but no more than that, on what UK youth think on the big issues of the day. However, on this subject, it is critical to me—and, I suggest, to all of us—to understand how young people see themselves in today’s world.

Secondly, we need more data. I have a micro analysis on what is happening with anti-Semitism in schools, which is, I think, the biggest and only one that exists anywhere in the world. It is not public and I am contemplating what to do with it; it is certainly available to the Minister and her officials. It shows the nature of what is going on, and it shocked me in how wrong I was on some of the things I was looking at, even though I am the government adviser—I have a degree of expertise in this area. Data on what is going on is critical, and we need more.

Thirdly, something is going on with the various extremists, who are particularly targeting young women or all women, that is so big and profound that we are in danger of missing it. It is so dangerous. This work, as well as being in schools, must also be in school sixth forms and further education. There, it will not be content-taught; it is about how we allow the young people, in a sense, to organise themselves to think and discuss this. I strongly recommend that this Government re-engage with the National Union of Students, with 16 to 18 year-olds being the key priority for a new initiative.