Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Excerpts

Committee stage
Wednesday 2nd November 2022 Grand Committee

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Finlay of Llandaff) (CB)]

For clarification, it seems that it is once for the Committee stage rather than each time we speak.

[Baroness Chakrabarti (Lab)]

I am grateful to the Deputy Chairman. I hope the Committee will forgive my ignorance; I hope that will help others as well.

I think noble Lords are really on to something here. I have found all the previous contributions compelling. They speak to aspects of my own experience. I have seen the way that funding can either promote or chill free speech, expression and academic inquiry. I understand that there are real challenges in this area. In particular, it is going to be very difficult to compel a corporation in any way to fund research that would be directly contrary to its interests. However, I do not think that we should totally give up on all of this; I do think that my noble friend Lord Sikka and the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, are on to something.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Sikka (Lab)]

My Lords, if I may respond to some of the points—

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Finlay of Llandaff) (CB)]

For the convenience of the Committee, the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, has already withdrawn his amendment and no one has objected to that.

Clause 1 agreed.