Contributions
933 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)In a previous sitting, the Chair mentioned facing this issue when he was a student. That is exactly why the NUS has laid down a national policy that refers to six named…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)Very often, an academic seeking promotion has to demonstrate that they have published work and have spoken at an event external to the institution that they work in. If they are…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)The hon. Lady is making an important point for research students. I am just not quite sure how these points relate to all taught students. Being a taught student sometimes…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)The whole Bill is full of tensions, which is why many of us would say this is not best put in legislation; instead, it could be done through other mechanisms, such as guidance and…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)I understand exactly what the Minister is trying to say, although there is some advanced maths that could move into philosophy and so on, depending on how deep we want to go. It…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)But the Bill does require student unions to allow students to set up societies regardless of their viewpoints; such societies must be able to be registered and cannot be denied.…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)I have a professional connection with the University of Sussex and the University and College Union, and I am a trustee of the University of Bradford union.15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)My right hon. Friend makes some good points about the litigiousness, but also about the ability that people have to challenge the status quo to create knowledge. That is when they…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)I became quite fond of the right hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings during the evidence sessions, and during our discussions about the necessity for broader academic…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)Six—I thank my hon. Friend. Those bans usually have national governmental guidelines behind them, because the organisations are proscribed under Prevent or under other duties. We…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)I understand exactly what the Minister is saying, and the difficulty of requiring a university to secure premises that it might not directly run. The difficulty is that more and…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)Most pre-1984 universities have a reference in their charter to academic freedom as opposed to freedom of speech, and most post-’84 universities have it within their other…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)Will the Minister give way?15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)rose —15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)I broadly agree with what the right hon. Gentleman says and with the subsequent amendments, some of which say similar things. My problem is around academic rigour, which…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)My hon. Friend has already developed the phraseology and wording in his comments about research and academic interest. Were a matter within an academic’s research and interest…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Sixth sitting)Some of the evidence that we heard from a number of the Government and Opposition witnesses was that, actually, part of the problem is the commercialisation in higher education,…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fifth sitting)I totally agree. Again, that is the importance of the guidance. The Office for Students can sit down with other regulators and work out a settled opinion, which might be that…15 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Fourth sitting)Q I was on a panel at one event where there was—I do not think he is even a professor—the Miller chap from Bristol, and I remember that at the end of the event I said I think what…13 Sept 2021