Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Willetts and Andrew Stephenson

Thursday 7th February 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

My right hon. Friend is right and I pay tribute to his efforts in this area. Clearly, we must not be complacent. There is always more to do, and I hope that in all parts of the House we can agree that we must communicate the crucial message that no student has to pay up front to go to university; they pay back only if they are graduates in well paid employment.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

6. What assessment he has made of the effect of the regional growth fund on job creation in the north-west.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Willetts and Andrew Stephenson

Thursday 6th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

We completely understand the importance of the Home Office maintaining the integrity of our immigration controls, but BIS—and the whole Government—believe that legitimate students who have a visa entitlement to come and study in Britain should be welcome. There is no cap on those numbers and we are making every effort through UKTI and British embassies abroad to continue to communicate the message that Britain is a great place to come and study at our colleges and universities.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

There has been a series of positive announcements from the aerospace industry in the last few months, especially from companies such as Rolls-Royce, which employs more than 1,000 people in my constituency. Will my right hon. Friend say more about what he is doing to support the aerospace sector?

Higher Education Funding

Debate between Lord Willetts and Andrew Stephenson

Wednesday 3rd November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

I hope that the hon. Lady will join me in sending the very clear message to young people that the system is not like having a credit card debt of £20,000. It is a graduate contribution scheme in which there is no repayment unless someone earns more than £21,000, and, if for whatever reason, they become unemployed or withdraw from the work force during that time, they will not have to make any repayments. It is far better than conventional debt, and it is important for all of us in all parts of the House to make that clear.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

How does today’s announcement sit with the Government’s wider approach to higher education, such as the funding of the science and research budget and other university income streams?

[Mr Willetts]

In the comprehensive spending review, we were able to secure a very good settlement for science and research, protected with a ring fence. The combination of that ring-fenced support and these reforms offers a very good, strong prospect for our universities.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Willetts and Andrew Stephenson

Thursday 14th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

T6. In my constituency of Pendle, many graduates earn far less on average than those working in other parts of the country. Does my right hon. Friend welcome the Browne review’s proposals to raise the threshold for fees repayment from £15,000 to £21,000?

[Mr Willetts]

My hon. Friend draws attention to an important feature of the Browne review, which is also one reason why the analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggested that the poorest 30% of students would be better off as a result of those proposals.