Contributions
755 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19I thank my hon. Friend for again highlighting to me the fantastic work that the University of Bolton is doing. Like many of our world-class universities, it has a reputation for…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19This hardship fund is on top of the £256 million that we unlocked for universities and higher education providers to utilise for this academic year, and it will help those most in…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19I agree with my right hon. Friend because online does not have to mean inferior, which is exactly why universities have invested a great deal of time and money to produce…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19I agree that we want every student to thrive throughout this pandemic, and past it. As I have said, this amount is on top of the £256 million for this academic year. We are…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19Absolutely; I completely agree. That is exactly why we unlocked £256 million for this academic year, why we gave £20 million in December and why we have announced £50 million now.…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19My right hon. Friend touches on a really important point. We have only asked a small cohort of students to go back to university, not because face-to-face teaching is unsafe—in…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19Just to clarify, the hardship funding, at every stage, is applicable to international students, students from Wales who study here in England, and indeed Scottish students…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19Obviously it is a really difficult time for the hon. Member’s child; I feel exceptionally sorry for them. It is one of the awful ramifications of the pandemic that they are not…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19It is vital that we listen to the experiences of students. That is why I regularly meet the NUS, and student unions in universities up and down the country. I also regularly meet…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19My hon. Friend is spot on: universities do have a duty of care, and it is important that they are communicating with and looking after the wellbeing of students during this…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19As I have said many times today, this support is available until April. We are actively monitoring the impact on students, to ensure that every student who needs the help can get…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19We will continue to monitor the situation. However, it is important to note that reducing tuition fees would not put money into students’ pockets here and now, and 50% of students…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19The Prime Minister announced a road map for unlocking society and our education the other week, including getting students back from 8 March if the health information allows it;…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19We made education a priority, which includes higher education, so that students do not have to put their academic journeys or their lives on hold, and we kept a proportion of…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19Education is of course devolved, but I meet on a weekly basis with my counterpart in Scotland, Minister Lochhead. We discuss the issue of accommodation almost every week, and the…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19I agree with my hon. Friend: this is a really difficult and challenging time for students, and my heart goes out to all of them. We as a Government set the maximum tuition fee…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19Absolutely; I totally agree with my hon. Friend. This is a difficult time for students, and we do urge all providers of university accommodation to give a partial refund for this…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19In every conversation that I have with my counterparts in the DAs, we certainly do look at all the issues affecting students, and also universities, at this difficult time.03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19I can indeed. I urge all students, including those who originate from High Peak, who have been disadvantaged by the pandemic and find themselves in hardship, to approach their…03 Feb 2021HANSARDSupport for University Students: Covid-19The funding we have announced is for three months only—that is, £70 million spread over three months. It is my understanding that it is not the same case in Wales. That is in…03 Feb 2021