Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Willetts and Philip Hollobone

Thursday 24th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

It is very important to maintain confidence in the British economy, and people can take confidence from the fact that employment is up, and that inflation is down so their living standards are protected. They can take confidence from the fact that exports are up, and they can take confidence from the fact that public borrowing is down so interest rates are down. Those are the reasons why we are confident in the British economy.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

May I tell the Minister that the chief executive of Northamptonshire chamber of commerce has said that

“the news the economy was in recession paints an “unduly pessimistic picture”

as far as Northamptonshire is concerned? Mr Griffiths says the news is contrary to what he is hearing from his members, and his local quarterly economic survey shows a far “more positive picture”. He believes that that gives a

“more accurate indication of the underlying trends in the economy.”

[Mr Willetts]

There are great examples of business success across Britain, in both small and large companies. The coalition is committed to ensuring that we deliver growth and prosperity in the future.

Higher Education White Paper

Debate between Lord Willetts and Philip Hollobone

Tuesday 28th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

I have a lot of sympathy with my hon. Friend’s points, which are important. The current system is exceptionally complicated, with a large amount of interaction between the prospective student and the university. We have asked UCAS to look into the situation, and we will await its proposals. The idea would take some time to implement—I suspect that successive Governments have wrestled with this challenge—but it is also one that we put forward in the White Paper.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

Does the Minister believe that these proposals, together with the Government’s previously announced reforms, will lead to more two-year degrees, as opposed to three-year degrees, and is that something that he would wish to encourage?

[Mr Willetts]

I agree with my hon. Friend. That is exactly the kind of flexibility that we wish to see in the new system.

Higher Education Funding

Debate between Lord Willetts and Philip Hollobone

Wednesday 3rd November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

We have been completely frank with the House throughout in saying that of course there are public expenditure savings here, which are necessary because of the mess that we inherited from the previous Government. However, this is not simply a matter of saving public money. We are also using the challenge of doing that to propose what we believe is an improved and progressive system. We are delivering reform as well as saving public money.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

I understand that there is now no target for the proportion of young people who go into higher education. Will my right hon. Friend tell the House what proportion of young people do so today, and what his central estimate is of the proportion who will do so in 10 years’ time, after the new scheme has come in?