John Bercow
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London Metropolitan University
John Bercow Excerpts(11 years, 8 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
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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Mr Speaker
Order. I appeal to colleagues for short questions and indeed to the Minister for mercifully shorter answers.
Mark Field (Cities of London and Westminster) (Con)
London Met, part of which is in my constituency, has been a troubled institution. I accept, with some regret, that the UKBA needed to make a stand. I am glad that the Minister has gone into some detail about the arrangements that are being made, but does he recognise that there is a strong duty of care owed by the UKBA and the whole higher education organisation to those students who are about to start the final year of their studies? They may well have been at London Met for two or three years, and they must be looked after. If necessary, I hope that he will make a special case for some of those students in the weeks ahead.
Mr Speaker
I called two Members from the Government side, so it is still the Opposition’s turn. I call Gisela Stuart.
Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston) (Lab)
May I press the Minister further on his response to the Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee? Are there any other higher education institutions, specifically in the west midlands or Birmingham, whose highly trusted sponsor status the UK Border Agency is considering withdrawing?
Mr Speaker
Order. I apologise to colleagues who did not get in, but time is against us and we must now move on.