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Debate between Lord Willetts and Eric Ollerenshaw(11 years, 8 months ago)
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Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)
T9. Lancaster is an excellent university town, and we have a high number of creative and innovative entrepreneurs. What additional help can we get from the Department to provide them with the right marketing, financial and manufacturing advice to help them to get their products to market?
Mr Willetts
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Among the resources that we do not use enough are the business schools in our universities, which can be a source of expertise and support for local businesses. I hope that this will be among the issues that Andrew Witty addresses in his review.
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Debate between Lord Willetts and Eric Ollerenshaw(11 years, 11 months ago)
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Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)
T3. Does the Minister agree that it is the wide range of educational provision in the higher education sector that really benefits young people, and if so, what is he doing to increase the diversity of that provision?
The Minister for Universities and Science (Mr David Willetts)
I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of diversity, and that is why we have liberalised the rules on the size of institutions that can take the name “university”, as a result of which 10 more higher education institutions fulfilled that criterion, seven of which have already received approval from the Privy Council to become universities.
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Debate between Lord Willetts and Eric Ollerenshaw(14 years, 1 month ago)
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Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)
T8. Cumbria university, which has one of its largest campuses in the Lancaster part of my constituency, has experienced a number of financial and managerial problems over the past few years. Can the Minister comment on the university’s viability, given its new business plan?
Mr Willetts
I know that my hon. Friend has been closely involved with that university, as have other hon. Members. The Higher Education Funding Council for England advises me that, with the university’s new management arrangements and its new plan, it will have a far better prospect for the future.