Contributions
1,563 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Twelfth sitting)May we return to the issue of the Select Committee and whether it will have a pre-appointment hearing for the freedom of speech director? Will the Select Committee be able to call…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I believe I understand what the right hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings is trying to do with this amendment, but I return to our previous point that the big problem…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)The University of Cambridge submitted: “A range of sanctions would allow for interventions which are more proportionate to the facts of individual cases, recognizing that some…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)Hopefully, the next time the Minister stands up she might be able to clarify whether the appointment of the director for freedom of speech and academic freedom will be subjected…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)On the point about qualifications for the job, it would be helpful if the Minister could say whether those involve having legal knowledge and an understanding of the sector, which…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)It is worth pointing out that we have no written constitution in this country. Everything we have is based on practice and tradition, because of the lack of a written…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)To clarify, and to put this as succinctly as possible, we are asking for the person to be appointed on the basis of what they know, not who they know. That is pretty much what all…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)The reason for talking about the Education Committee is that people said in some of the evidence that they wanted democratic oversight. We are fully aware that the Education…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)With the greatest respect, the Minister has just said that the OfS is independent of the Government, but the chair of the OfS is a Conservative peer, who was a Conservative Member…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)With respect, the Bill brings the student unions under the direct control of the OfS, and, as it is, the student unions do not have a direct voice through the Office for Students.…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)Sorry.22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)I know it was not strictly in our amendments, but I hope that before the Minister sits down she will respond to the points made about the inclusion of further education colleges,…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)I thank the Minister for that point about the OIA, but the OIA website states: “A student or provider may ask us to consider reopening our review if they have new evidence that…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Eleventh sitting)I should have waited an extra moment, because I think the Minister just answered my question, which was about who else would be involved in the consultation. She mentioned wider…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Violence Against Women and Girls: Police ResponseI hope that Members in all parts of the House can agree that every rape survivor is worthy of compassion, support and justice. Last week I highlighted the case of a constituent…22 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Ninth sitting)In its evidence, the OIA gave an example where a group of students may have the same complaint regarding freedom of speech, but go down different routes: one down the OfS route,…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Ninth sitting)It is worth pointing out what the remedies are when somebody brings a complaint forward. If the OIA upholds a complaint, it has a variety of remedies at its disposal—academic…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)I am slightly confused. The Minister is saying that the OfS has been collecting the data, but why has it not been reporting on it? The difficulty with the chilling effect is how…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)I will continue to make this point, because it is an important one that needs to be made: not all student unions are wealthy institutions. As I have already mentioned, the Bill…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Ninth sitting)It is worth pointing out that what is proposed in the Bill does not come cost-free. The impact assessment estimated that the cost of compliance with the Bill would be around £48.1…20 Sept 2021