Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Lazarowicz and Lord Willetts

Thursday 10th April 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

We now have record numbers of people applying to university. The funding is going to the courses that students choose. We are getting rid of controls on numbers of students. This system is financed by graduates—not students, but graduates—paying money back. That is the right way to finance our higher education. It is the system that all three parties have ended up proposing when they had to confront the realities of financing higher education. It is the right way forward for our young people.

[Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/Co-op)]

Universities in Scotland—in Edinburgh, in particular—contribute substantially to the UK’s research community, as most spectacularly exemplified recently by Professor Higgs. At the same time, universities in Scotland receive 15% of UK research funding, as is right and proper given their achievements. Would it not be a tragedy if that support and co-operation were put at risk by Scotland becoming independent from the rest of the UK?

[Mr Willetts]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Although Scotland has about 8% of the nation’s GDP, it gets about 15% of the public research income that is allocated across institutions, because of the excellence of the research in institutions in Scotland. That works to the advantage of Scotland and to the advantage of the entire United Kingdom, and that is why we are better off together.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Lazarowicz and Lord Willetts

Thursday 5th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

I completely agree with the hon. Lady, which is why the Government support fundamental research. Only last week I went to the launch of £250 million of public money for centres of doctoral training run by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

[Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/Co-op)]

One of the biggest engineering projects this country has ever seen will be High Speed 2. What specific steps is the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills taking in conjunction with the Department for Transport to ensure that engineering opportunities are available to businesses throughout the entire country, not just firms adjacent to the route?

[Mr Willetts]

We are already working with the current largest infrastructure plan, Crossrail, to ensure that skills are available and that we take the opportunity to build up skills in crucial techniques such as tunnelling. We will take the same approach to HS2.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Lazarowicz and Lord Willetts

Thursday 21st March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

My hon. Friend is right. The first priority was to eliminate abuse so that people can have confidence that students are legitimate. We have now said that we will disaggregate the statistics so that students are separately identified. The next step is a positive education export strategy, which we will produce before the summer.

[Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/Co-op)]

The Royal Botanic Gardens in my constituency carries out world-leading research that benefits the UK in many ways. International students and interns are an important part of that work, but the gardens’ particular organisational status sometimes makes it difficult to obtain visas for them. If I write to the Minister with the details, will he, perhaps in conjunction with his colleagues in the Home Office, look at this issue to help support its important work?

[Mr Willetts]

I am always happy to work with the Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Forest of Dean (Mr Harper), to iron out such problems, but the general point is very simple: genuine, legitimate students are allowed into this country and there is no limit on the numbers.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Lazarowicz and Lord Willetts

Thursday 15th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

We are seeing an increase in the number of engineering places in universities, which is very important because it is just what the British economy needs as it rebalances. There is also a challenge on where engineering graduates go, and we of course hope that more of them will work in industry. As we see manufacturing in Britain strengthening, as it is under the coalition’s policies, I am sure that more recruits will go into industry.

[Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/Co-op)]

7. What assessment he has made of the ability of other Departments to encourage business growth.

Off-quota University Places

Debate between Mark Lazarowicz and Lord Willetts

Tuesday 10th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are trying to spread opportunity to go to university, even at a time when money is tight. That is what we are committed to achieving, and it is a great pity that the Labour party has completely failed to suggest anything that would deliver on our belief in improving social mobility.

[Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/Co-op)]

Given his absence from the House today, can the Minister assure the House that this policy has the full support of his boss, the Secretary of State, and will continue to have it in the future?

[Mr Willetts]

I am setting out the approach of the coalition Government, and of course we will set out in the White Paper our proposals to deliver on the coalition’s commitment to improving social mobility.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Lazarowicz and Lord Willetts

Thursday 18th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

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 (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/Co-op)]

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.

[Mr Willetts]

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