Contributions
755 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)I am not going to set out a detailed timetable, but I assure the hon. Member that there will be sufficient consultation with both the sector and student unions.20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)Under the amendment, that the monetary penalty that the Office for Students can impose on student unions for breach of their duty to protect freedom of speech will be subject to a…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)The Office for Students is the regulator for higher education in England and as such it has a vital role to play in ensuring that our universities and colleges continue to be…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)I agree with my right hon. Friend, but I fear that we are slipping into a debate on the necessity for the Bill itself, which we have already had at great length on Second Reading.…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Ninth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for their comments. It is a good point that students, academics and visiting speakers all need to know the routes available to them. That will be a…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Ninth sitting)I will make some progress and then give way. As individuals will be able to seek redress for free via the OfS or the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, we expect individuals…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)I think it is quite clear, from my own words, that the Government do not feel that no-platforming is the crux of the issue; the issue is a chilling effect. We have been very open…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)We know the important role that student unions play in ensuring that freedom of speech can thrive on our university campuses. We therefore know how vital it is for the current…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)Before I finish, I will repeat what I said a moment ago. In making the regulations, careful consideration will be given to the status and financial position of student unions and…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)Listening to the debate, I am quite perplexed. On the one hand, the Opposition argue there is no problem with free speech, but on the other, they argue that once the Bill is…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)I have reiterated many times, as Hansard will show, that it is not our intention to hit, penalise or alienate student unions. We are talking here about proportionate measures to…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)It might be useful if I clarify for the hon. Member that, where student unions are registered charities, charity law will still apply to them. The OfS will only regulate student…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)I completely agree with my hon. Friend. That point was laboured by many of the witnesses we saw in evidence. As I said to the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington a moment ago,…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Ninth sitting)There will be a variety of options available. Going to the director will be the free option and the first instance, but we cannot mandate that they have to have gone through the…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Ninth sitting)I am afraid I am going to end there, and give the right hon. Gentleman an opportunity after that.20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Ninth sitting)As discussed, the amendment seeks to introduce a requirement on the Office for Students to publish an annual report that would assess and rank higher education providers on their…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)Amendment 35 would allow only current students, members or staff of a provider to make a complaint to the Office for Students complaints scheme. A key aspect of the Bill is that…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)The Office for Students, as the regulator of the higher education sector in England, provides a valuable independent service that helps to ensure that our universities are…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)I heard the hon. Lady, but yet again the Opposition are failing to grasp the severity of the problem we are trying to deal with, and so honour our manifesto commitment to squash…20 Sept 2021HANSARD Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill (Tenth sitting)As we have heard, the amendment seeks to ensure that registered higher education providers who are eligible for financial support are required to report to the Office for Students…20 Sept 2021