Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 10th April 2014 Commons Chamber

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

The Budget invited universities and others to bid to develop the new Alan Turing institute for big data, an invitation enthusiastically embraced in Wiltshire and Swindon’s economic plan. How can we now work with the Minister to make this bright idea a reality?

[Mr Willetts]

My hon. Friend indeed represents an area with, shall we say, some very distinctive skills in cyber and big data, and yes, absolutely, it is very important that places like his have the opportunity to apply to have the Turing centre. We will be running a consultation on its best location.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 8th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

Lord Heseltine’s report was excellent. The message that we need to see growth across the entire country is absolutely correct. It is also correct that universities across the country are crucial drivers of local economic growth, and that is one of the many reasons we are supporting them.

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

In past years, Higher Education Funding Council for England letters have never done much for Wiltshire. Will the Minister be flexible in his approach to student number controls on universities seeking to co-locate with high-tech businesses, and so bring university education to our fine county?

[Mr Willetts]

That is an ingenious piece of local lobbying on which I congratulate my hon. Friend. I will certainly bear that in mind. We are continuing to reduce the number controls that we inherited from the previous Government; we have been able to achieve that successfully through our reforms. Now, one in three students is choosing a university without number controls, and we want that to go further.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 24th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

Let us make it absolutely clear. My fellow Ministers and I talk on an even and equitable basis with Autonomy and Mike Lynch, of course, and with HP and Google. Indeed, we have set up a council to plan our strategy for e-infrastructure and high-performance computing in which their advice is greatly valued. Yes, it is very important that we invest in high-technology companies, but I cannot believe that a former Secretary of State is actually saying that we should have direct controls to stop a company such as Autonomy being taken over.

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

8. What recent assessment he has made of the employment circumstances of apprentices on completion of their placement.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 15th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

We will continue to offer a large number of places at university and they will continue to be very well funded. Indeed, the latest figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England show that the funding for university teaching will go up from £8.9 billion this year to £9.1 billion next year and £9.6 billion the year after. That money is coming through in fees and loans—not fees that students have to pay up front—to ensure that we have strong, effective universities that can continue to educate many students.

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

That is welcome news, but from what my constituents have said one would not judge that from what is said at university open days. Institutions seem still to be seeking to attract students on the basis of their existing facilities, be they educational or otherwise, rather than providing information about value for money for the cost of their tuition. What is the Minister doing to encourage universities to publish data such as drop-out rates, teaching time, contact time with students and student satisfaction rates?

[Mr Willetts]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that students need to have access to such information. That is why we have identified the 17 key sources of information to which students attach most importance, and that should be available on Government websites before the start of the next round of university applications.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 27th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

It is important that women are properly represented in engineering and science, and I discuss that issue with a range of groups, so I hope the hon. Lady will be encouraged by the fact that we have 26,000 STEMNET ambassadors. Already, we have 40% who are female, but obviously we need to be better.

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

Next month should at last see meaningfully democratic elections in Egypt, but a new democratic Egypt faces a future hamstrung by debts from the Mubarak era. Will my right hon. Friend ask his officials to conduct an audit of the £100 million owed by Egypt to the Export Credits Guarantee Department?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 14th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

More than two fifths of places to study medicine are awarded to prospective students living in the top fifth of areas for higher education participation. Will the Minister for Universities and Science consider the social background profile of students on longer degree courses, so that the Office for Fair Access can demand specific actions for these courses in future access agreements?

[Mr Willetts]

I know that the medical profession is committed to trying to ensure that it attracts talented people who can contribute to medicine regardless of their background. Of course, together with the Secretary of State for Health, I recently announced a very fair funding arrangement for medical students, which I hope will ensure that the profession will continue to be open to young people—whatever their background.

Higher Education White Paper

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Tuesday 28th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

There certainly is growing international competition for students. Higher education is becoming more of a global market. I am confident that British universities, with high standards and no limit on the number of legitimate overseas students, will continue to attract many overseas students.

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

Fourteen years ago, the Dearing report identified employers, alongside students and the state, as stakeholders in higher education. What measures will the Minister use to facilitate the contribution of employers to the costs of the higher education that they require of the graduates they recruit?

[Mr Willetts]

This goes back to an earlier question. Let me make it absolutely clear that one of the proposals in the White Paper is to make it easier for employers and charities to sponsor additional places at university. That is an additional flexibility in the system. Already, 6,000 university places are sponsored by employers in that way. However, it is not our intention that these proposals be abused by people to purchase places at university that they could not achieve on academic merit.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 9th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

I noted the Business Secretary’s earlier answer citing the STEMNET project. I hope he is also aware of the work of I’mascientist.org.uk, whose events reach over 10,000 students, with funding of less than £9 per student drawn from charitable and business sponsors. Will he learn from the success of this initiative as a model for the online engagement of students with the futures they could realise through science, technology, engineering and maths?

[Mr Willetts]

That is a very imaginative suggestion which I certainly undertake to pursue—and will, perhaps, discuss at the Cheltenham science festival this weekend.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 17th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

I have discussed this with representatives of Jewish students. It is a challenge for universities, and the hon. Lady is right to raise it. We will continue to be absolutely emphatic on the rights of individual students to enjoy freedom without facing harassment and abuse, which, sadly, has been occurring.

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

Perhaps, like me, Ministers can recall how it felt to be among one of the last to be picked for a team in a game of schoolyard football. The experience is very similar for some areas wishing to join local enterprise partnerships. Can the Minister reassure residual LEPs in smaller areas that they will still have fair access to regionally administered skills funding?

Higher Education Funding

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Wednesday 3rd November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

I think that “free radical” captures very well the enormous contribution that the Secretary of State makes—and what a pleasure it is to work alongside him.

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

If raising the repayment threshold is to benefit every single graduate, in the Minister’s words, can he confirm that current students—and indeed, current graduates—will see their repayment threshold raised also?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Duncan Hames and Lord Willetts

Thursday 14th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

My right hon. Friend has asserted the Government’s determination that graduate contributions should be linked to ability to pay. Will he therefore consider supplementing the Browne proposals with a less advantageous interest rate for the highest earners?

[Mr Willetts]

We are, of course, considering Lord Browne’s proposals very carefully and in greater detail. One issue that we will certainly consider is the exact interest rate that should be applied.