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Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 08 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (Third sitting)

"Q Before I come to my substantive question, the National Union of Students has been campaigning to give evidence at these sessions. For the record, why has the NUS sent a vice-president, not the actual president?

Sorana Vieru: I am the representative who holds the portfolio for higher education. …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (Third sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 08 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (Third sitting)

"Q Don’t get me wrong, I have worked with the NUS for a long time, and it has been a productive relationship, but this is a serious Bill and not to have the president here—

Sorana Vieru: Absolutely, but our president started on 1 July and I am in …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (Third sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 08 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (Third sitting)

"Q I think that is a bit of a shame but, obviously, the president is not here in person at the moment.

Moving on to my more substantive point, do you welcome the measures in the Bill that open up alternative student finance?

Sorana Vieru: The steps taken to …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (Third sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 08 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (Third sitting)

"Q What benefit will this Bill have for the most disadvantaged in society?

Joseph Johnson: In many, many ways it will help the most disadvantaged in society. First of all, we are introducing significant reforms on how we deal with transparency in the sector. Universities will be under an …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (Third sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 08 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (Fourth sitting)

"The Care Quality Commission was mentioned earlier. There is no patient on the board of that organisation to represent the views of patients, because things evolve quickly. How does the hon. Gentleman want student voices to be engaged more effectively? The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, which the Labour …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (Fourth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 06 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (First sitting)

"Q One of the key areas of regulation proposed in the Bill obviously relates to participation, and for a long time social mobility has been lacking in many areas of the regulatory system.

I want to unpick a bit, following on from the last question, your views on the …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (First sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 06 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (First sitting)

"Q I want to find out what your views are on the creation of UKRI, and your thoughts on whether it will bring a greater sense of oversight and more strategic direction as well. Professor McKellar, perhaps you can start off.

Professor Quintin McKellar: I am very comfortable with …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (First sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 06 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (First sitting)

"Q Do you agree with that assessment, Professor?

Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz: Yes, overall I would, but one has to remember that of the research funders in the UK, UKRI merely looks after the Government component side of the funding. For instance, 30% of funding sits with the charitable …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (First sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 06 Sep 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill (First sitting)

"Q Does the legislation as it currently reads enable that to take place?

Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz: In the main, I would read it that it probably does. I would want to see a much tougher line in terms of the postgraduate student and the research environment in which …..."
Ben Howlett - View Speech

View all Ben Howlett (Con - Bath) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill (First sitting)
Written Question
Migrant Workers: Fees and Charges
Monday 21st March 2016

Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of plans under the Immigration Bill to introduce a charge on UK employers for employing skilled foreign workers on the number of people applying to study STEM subjects at university.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone

The Government is considering carefully the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations on migration including the likely impact on different sectors. It is essential that the UK remains open for business, while migration levels are controlled.