PD-1617-10
11-18 November 2016
Political affairs digest
A regular digest of House of Commons, House of Lords and higher education sector
business. If you would like more information on parliamentary business, or advice on
engaging with Parliament or a parliamentarian, please contact:
Kate Jackson
Tel 020 7419 5621
[email protected]
Click on the items in the Table of Contents to go straight to the debates, answers,
forthcoming business, etc.
Table of Contents
Forthcoming Business .................................................................................................... 3
Higher Education and Research Bill ............................................................................... 3
Lords Question: EU scientists ........................................................................................ 3
Opposition day debate: Education and social mobility .................................................... 3
Westminster Hall Debate ............................................................................................... 3
Exiting the European Union Committee ......................................................................... 3
The Higher Education and Research Bill ....................................................................... 3
Report Stage.................................................................................................................. 3
Government amendments .............................................................................................. 3
Department for Education Oral Questions .................................................................... 4
Science and Technology Committee ............................................................................. 5
Westminster Hall Debate – International students ........................................................ 6
Lords Debate – International students ........................................................................... 6
Written questions ............................................................................................................ 6
Visas: Overseas students .............................................................................................. 6
Higher education: Scotland ............................................................................................ 6
Higher education: Research ........................................................................................... 6
Entry clearances ............................................................................................................ 6
Doctors: Migrant workers ............................................................................................... 6
Teachers: Training ......................................................................................................... 7
Electoral register: Students ............................................................................................ 7
Charities: Research ....................................................................................................... 7
Brexit: Staff and student numbers .................................................................................. 7
Higher education: Admissions ........................................................................................ 7
Higher education: Finance ............................................................................................. 7
Health professions: Training........................................................................................... 7
Universities: Freedom of speech .................................................................................... 7
Sector News ..................................................................................................................... 7
ONS progress update: better understanding of migration data on students.................... 7
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Forthcoming Business
Higher Education and Research Bill
The Bill returns to the floor of the House for its Report and Third Reading Stage in the
Commons on Monday 21 November following Oral Questions at 2.30pm.
Lords Question: EU scientists
Also on Monday 21 November Baroness Andrews (Labour) will ask Her Majesty’s
Government, in the light of the numbers of European Union scientists working on British
research programmes, what assessment they have made of the impact of the United
Kingdom’s exit from the European Union on medical research and innovation.
Opposition day debate: Education and social mobility
On Tuesday 22 November, the Opposition have tabled a debate on education and social
mobility.
Westminster Hall Debate
On Wednesday 23 November, Rupa Huq MP (Labour) has tabled a debate on the effect of
exiting the EU on higher education. This will take place between 9.30am and 11am.
Exiting the European Union Committee
Also on Wednesday the Committee will hear from witnesses on the topic of the UK’s
negotiating objectives for its withdrawal from the EU.
 Dr Robin Niblett, Director, Chatham House;
 Stephen Booth, Acting Director and Director of Policy and Research, Open Europe;
and
 Shankar Singham, Director of Economic Policy and Prosperity Studies, The Legatum
Institute
The Higher Education and Research Bill
Report Stage
The Bill returns to the floor of the House for its Report and Third Reading Stage in the
Commons on Monday 21 November following Oral Questions at 2.30pm. Report stage is
when any amendments which may have been tabled are discussed by MPs. Third Reading
is a general discussion of the Bill and no amendments can be made at this stage.
Government amendments
On Monday 14 November the Government laid several amendments to the Bill and
produced a document by the Department for Education and Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy that set out how the OfS and UKRI would work together.
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
Government amendments
OfS and UKRI policy paper
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Department for Education Oral Questions
On Monday 14 November ministers from DfE answered oral questions in the House, from
2.30pm. There was a useful exchange following a question by Roberta Blackman-Woods
MP, detailed below.
Roberta Blackman-Woods MP: What priorities her Department has identified for higher
education in the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Jo Johnson MP: The Government are fully committed to ensuring that our universities get
the best possible deal from the negotiations with the EU. We recognise the key issues for
the sector as being the ability to recruit EU students, the student financial support to which
they have access, EU programmes and funding streams and the status of UK students
studying abroad. The future arrangements on all those issues will have to be considered as
part of the wider discussions about our future relationship with the EU.
Roberta Blackman-Woods MP: As the Minister knows, the higher education sector
contributes a massive £73 billion to the UK economy, including £11 billion of export
earnings, yet the Department for Education has no representation on the EU Exit and Trade
Committee or Sub-Committee. What reassurances can he give the House that the priorities
for the sector, such as growing the number of students and sustaining research funding, are
being identified and protected in the Brexit negotiations?
Jo Johnson MP: The Department has moved rapidly to provide significant reassurances to
the sector in a number of respects, particularly on the continuity of the funding arrangements
for Horizon 2020 resources. The Treasury will make up the continuing obligations on
payments that fall due after we have left the EU. We have made it clear that EU students will
be able to access our loan book and home fee status for the duration of their course of study
if they start in the 2016-17 or 2017-18 academic year.
Philippa Whitford MP: Some 15% of Scottish academics in higher education institutions are
EU nationals. That rises to 25% in institutions such as Edinburgh University. Some
universities already report having lost advance staff who were due to come from Europe. Will
the Minister speak to the Home Secretary and try to get a guarantee of rights for EU staff
before we lose any more talent?
Jo Johnson MP: We fully value the contribution that EU staff make to the success of UK
institutions. The higher education sector has a long-established tradition of attracting brilliant
academics and students at all stages of their careers, and we are working hard to ensure
that that continues. The Prime Minister has given assurances that she has every expectation
of being able to guarantee the status of such academics, provided that other countries
reciprocate for British nationals in their countries.
Ian Austin MP: The only way we will bring new jobs and industries to areas like the black
country that have lost their traditional industries is if we have the skills that new modern and
high-tech industries need. Will the Minister guarantee that the £50 million from the EU that is
currently spent on skills in institutions such as Wolverhampton University and other
organisations in the black country will be maintained after we leave? Will he use the rest of
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the money that we currently contribute to the EU to get behind brilliant institutions such as
Dudley’s new institute of technology and to ensure that we have university campuses in
areas like Dudley that do not have them at the moment?
Jo Johnson MP: As I said in my earlier answer, the relationship we have with the EU will be
the subject of a broad discussion, and among the important issues at stake in that will be the
future of our access to funding streams that have been of value to institutions such as those
the hon. Gentleman mentions.
Science and Technology Committee
This morning the Committee published its report on the impact of leaving the EU on science
and research. The Government, the Committee argue, should make an immediate
commitment to exempt EU scientists and researchers already working in the UK from wider
potential immigration controls.
Science and Technology Committee Chair Stephen Metcalfe MP said:
"Uncertainty over Brexit threatens to undermine some of the UK’s ongoing international
scientific collaborations. Telling EU scientists and researchers already working in the UK that
they are allowed to stay is one way the Government could reduce that uncertainty right
away."
The Committee wants to see the Government commit in the Autumn Statement to raise
science expenditure as a percentage of GDP.
Stephen Metcalfe MP added:
"The forthcoming Autumn Statement is a chance for the Government to demonstrate its
commitment to making science and research a linchpin of our economy after Brexit and to
place it at the heart of an emerging Industrial Strategy. As a Science nation we know we
already punch well above our weight, but when it comes to research and development
funding we are falling behind other developed nations. If we want to make the most of the
economic opportunities that Brexit could bring, we must increase our science funding in line
with key competitors like Germany and the US."
The Committee also believes it is vital, in light of the continuing uncertainty about the risks
and opportunities associated with leaving the EU for UK science and research, that the
Government has a comprehensive communication strategy. The Committee also points to
the importance of UK science having a strong voice in the negotiations. It argues that the
new Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) should urgently appoint a Chief
Scientific Advisor (CSA).
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Westminster Hall Debate – International students
On Wednesday 16 November Stuart C McDonald MP (SNP) tabled a debate on immigration
rules for international students. This was widely attended and Robert Goodwill MP
responded for the Government. Read the full transcript here.
Lords Debate – International students
On Thursday 17 November, Lord Lucas called for a balloted debate on the application of
immigration policy to overseas students at UK universities and colleges. This was time
limited to two and a half hours and Baroness Williams of Trafford responded for the
Government. Read the full transcript here.
Written questions
The answers to written questions can be found by clicking the name of the MP or Lord
beneath the title. Members may appear more than once if they have asked several questions
on the same topic.
Visas: Overseas students
Lord Harris of Haringey
Lord Harris of Haringey
Paul Blomfield MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Higher education: Scotland
Seema Malhotra MP
Higher education: Research
Ian Murray MP
Entry clearances
Martyn Day MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Doctors: Migrant workers
Jonathan Ashworth MP
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Teachers: Training
Lucy Powell MP
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Electoral register: Students
Cat Smith MP
Charities: Research
Daniel Zeichner MP
Brexit: Staff and student numbers
Philippa Whitford MP
Higher education: Admissions
Jim Cunningham MP
Higher education: Finance
Bridget Phillipson MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Health professions: Training
Jonathan Ashworth MP
Baroness Redfern
Universities: Freedom of speech
Baroness Deech
Sector News
ONS progress update: better understanding of migration data on students
ONS has published a progress update on work to develop a better understanding of
migration data on students moving to and from the UK. The report covers the work done so
far to assess the suitability of the International Passenger Survey for providing the
information required to reliably inform government policy, and to explore other potential
sources.
Emma Rourke, ONS Director for Public Policy Analysis, said:
"The demand for more detailed information on international student numbers has increased
as migration policy has become a prominent area of debate during recent years, and
particularly in the context of the result of the referendum on EU membership.
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"We have been working closely with other government departments to assess the quality of
existing data sources and to develop new sources of information based on administrative
data. As the principal independent producer of official statistics for the UK, it is most
important that we are sure we're producing the high quality analysis the UK really needs as
society and technology changes. Therefore, we need access to the right, most timely data to
produce this information."
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