22 Mark Lazarowicz debates involving the Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Mark Lazarowicz Excerpts
Thursday 18th November 2010

(13 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Willetts Portrait Mr Willetts
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My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate of the cause of liberalising universities. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are determined to ensure that they have a freer system, and we will set out proposals to that effect in our forthcoming White Paper.

Mark Lazarowicz Portrait Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/Co-op)
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Is the Minister aware that the Government have just asked the British Council not to recruit before 2011-12 for its English language assistant placement scheme? The scheme is vital to many language students, and cancelling it next year would cause a great deal of disruption. Will the Minister reconsider? If he does not, he will remove a valuable scheme that is important to many language students in this country.

Lord Willetts Portrait Mr Willetts
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We are discussing the issue with language schools, and I met some of their representatives at the Department recently.

Points of Order

Mark Lazarowicz Excerpts
Tuesday 29th June 2010

(14 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I thank the right hon. Lady for her point of order. I think that she is continuing a debate with some force, eloquence and insistence. She is an experienced Member and a distinguished former Minister, and the opportunity exists for her to table follow-up questions. I have a hunch that it will not be long before she avails herself of it.

Mark Lazarowicz Portrait Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/Co-op)
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Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Very well. I will take the hon. Gentleman on trust.

Mark Lazarowicz Portrait Mark Lazarowicz
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My right hon. Friend the Member for Stirling (Mrs McGuire) referred to the question on that subject that was tabled in my name. In fact, I have tabled a written question today asking the Chancellor to give the evidential basis for the statement that he made in the Budget last week. Could you urge him to give a speedy answer to that question, in order to reassure the House that his assertions in the Budget speech were based on fact?

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I do not think that it would be right for the hon. Gentleman to seek to draw me into these interesting exchanges. He has tabled a question, and an answer might be forthcoming. I note his reference to the importance of evidence, and I simply note in passing that we would be establishing a new precedent in the House if we were to regard it as mandatory for a Minister to provide evidence for the arguments that he or she was making.