Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eighth sitting)

Richard Holden Excerpts

Thursday 16th September 2021 Public Bill Committees

[Matt Western]

That is the issue, perhaps in part, with the Bill. The Government are trying impose, top down, a series of responsibilities and duties on universities to oversee and implement this legislation. The points we are making are about how many loopholes there are and how groups, particularly well-funded groups and private societies, will disaffiliate from the union and seek other premises in which to practise this sort of speech.

[Mr Richard Holden (North West Durham) (Con)]

Quite clearly, some parts of an institution come through a university—its student union, properly affiliated to it; student bodies; its faculty—but this provision also includes individual students, and when those individuals come together, they are not representing the university. It is not top down. All the Government are trying to do is to ensure that anything that comes down through the institution is covered, whereas things that essentially come from groups of students getting together in a non-formal setting are different. I can see the difference, and I am sure that the shadow team could also reflect on the clear difference between those two things.

[Matt Western]

I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point. My colleague wants to make a short related point, and I will respond to both together.