Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath To ask Her Majesty’s
Government how they intend to ensure that the benefits to the
United Kingdom arising from European Union students studying at
United Kingdom universities will be maintained post-Brexit.
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con) My Lords, EU and
international students enrich the UK financially...Request free trial
Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure
that the benefits to the United Kingdom arising from
European Union students studying at United Kingdom
universities will be maintained post-Brexit.
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(Con)
My Lords, EU and international students enrich the UK
financially and culturally. We will always ensure that our
world-class higher education sector can attract students
from Europe and elsewhere overseas. To support
evidence-based decision-making on the future migration
system we have commissioned the independent Migration
Advisory Committee to report on the impact of EU and
international students. To provide certainty to prospective
EU students we have guaranteed that those starting courses
in 2018-19 or before will remain eligible for student
support.
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(Lab)
My Lords, it is very difficult to know why the Government
have referred this to the advisory committee given that the
Minister’s colleague, the Home Office Minister, yesterday
admitted that overseas students have negligible impact on
the net migration statistics. The Government should just
remove them entirely from that statistical return. He has
guaranteed EU students up to 2018-19, but what then? It is
now that students from other EU countries are considering
coming to the UK in a couple of years’ time. We risk losing
them to other countries. Will the Minister guarantee
home-fee status and access to grants and fee loans for
students from the EU from 2019-20 and also access to the
Erasmus+ programme?
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The Government want to provide certainty to EU citizens
living in the UK. We know that the sector cares about its
current and prospective EU staff and students living in the
UK and we want to reach a reciprocal agreement for EU
citizens in Britain and UK nationals in Europe as quickly
as possible. That is why we published our policy paper on
26 June to outline our offer for EU citizens and to provide
them with the certainty that they need for their future.
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(Con)
My Lords, if we want to provide certainty we can do it here
and now. We can make an absolute guarantee that the
question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, is answered in
the affirmative. We can also make an absolute commitment to
continue participation in Erasmus beyond 2019. What is
stopping our doing that and taking a clear, unequivocal
lead—and the moral high ground in the process?
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As the House will know, we have given guarantees for
2018-19. In terms of 2019-20, that is subject to ongoing
negotiations; the House knows that well.
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(LD)
My Lords, at present EU nationals are entitled to attend
British universities on the same basis as home students.
Absent any other agreed settlement in terms of Brexit, they
will in future be international students, subject to
international fees. What work are Her Majesty’s Government
doing to ensure that EU students can continue to come on
the basis they do now? I refer to my declaration as
employed by Cambridge University.
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I think I made it clear in my previous answer that
certainty is given for 2018-19. Discussion is ongoing as to
what will happen from then on.
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Lord Deben (Con)
Is my noble friend aware that at the moment we are looking
very ungenerous and unwelcoming to people from outside the
United Kingdom, particularly in the rest of Europe? Will he
therefore accept the comment of my noble friend that we should not
haver or talk about this, that and the other but just say
“yes” and give a clear indication of the kind of generous
nation we have always been?
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Well, wouldn’t it be easy to say that? I can only reiterate
that, as the House will know, negotiations are continuing.
However, the UK still has a great offer for EU and
international students. With four universities in the
world’s top 10 and 16 in the top 100, we are marketing
ourselves abroad assiduously through the embassies and high
commissions to continue to encourage students to come here
to study.
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(Lab)
We were not told by the Minister the remit of the committee
that is being set up. Will it include the importance of
research in our universities? Without this policy of a
large number of EU students coming in, the creative work of
our universities would be decimated.
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Indeed, that could well be covered. Perhaps I may give the
House a little more detail about the commission. It will
consider the impact of both EU and non-EU students at all
levels of education and will consider the whole of the UK,
including its constituent nations and regions. As well as
considering the overall impact, the MAC will be asked to
consider the impact of tuition fees and other spending by
international students on the national, regional and local
economies and on the education sector as a whole.
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(CB)
Will the Minister take back the message that so many in this
House have agreed with?
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Yes, I certainly will. This is a subject that comes up fairly
frequently in the House and I am sticking to the lines that
have been given by my colleague the Minister.
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(CB)
My Lords, are the Government aware of the impact that Erasmus
students have had on the development of science in this
country and of how detrimental their loss would be to many
departments? I declare an interest as a member of the
University of York, where we have benefited hugely from the
mobility of students going both ways, and from their being
able to work freely and to attend meetings and sessions when
necessary while not having to fill out all kinds of paperwork
before moving?
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There was much talk about the importance of the university
sector during the passage of the Higher Education and
Research Bill, now an Act. The UK must remain among the best
places in the world for science and innovation. We will
continue to work along those lines and will seek to secure
the best possible outcome for the UK research base as we exit
the EU.
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(Lab)
My Lords, I am sure that the noble Viscount has the sympathy
of the House in having to stick, as he says, to a line which
has been given to him but which, frankly, is inadequate. He
can surely agree with the House that university research, and
indeed university undergraduate work, extends over at least
three, and often many more, years. Therefore, for him to say
to the House, as if it were an act of generosity, that the
arrangements will extend until 2018-19 really does not cut
much ice, if he will forgive my putting it that way.
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The noble Baroness will know that the uarantee includes those
who are starting in that year for the whole of their course,
right through until and beyond our exit from the EU. At home,
we are increasing research and development investment by £4.7
billion over the period 2017-18 to 2020-21—so there is a lot
going on in this country to support this important sector.
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