All 1 Debates between Lord Willetts and Lord Watts

Tue 10th May 2011

Off-quota University Places

Debate between Lord Willetts and Lord Watts
Tuesday 10th May 2011

(13 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I want to hear—and I am sure that the House wants to hear—Mr Dave Watts.

Lord Watts Portrait Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North) (Lab)
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Will the Minister explain what is to stop a rich business man buying his son a place at university?

Lord Willetts Portrait Mr Willetts
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Admission to university is determined by the university. It is the university that has the admission standards, which cannot be compromised, the university that does needs-blind admissions, which cannot be compromised, and the university that is bound by the clear conditions I have set out. Of course there is no suggestion that anyone other than the university looking at who can best benefit from a course should be deciding on admission to university. After our White Paper, when we have a further opportunity to debate our proposals, I very much hope that it will be possible to carry forward these exchanges, to show that we on the Government Benches remain committed to expanding our universities and improving social mobility in our country.