Extract from committee stage (Commons) of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill - Nov 30

Matt Western (Warwick and Leamington) (Lab):...To give the hon. Gentleman a small example, Warwick University  which is close to my constituency, was founded back in the 1960s, but it was founded off the back of the automotive industry. That did not mean that it should be an automotive industry establishment, and it is not. It happens to be one of the best universities in the UK and globally, but it was part founded by industry. That is where collaboration can work, and the last Labour Government certainly looked very closely at that when developing regional plans to promote industries. I take on board his point that industries and businesses have an important role to play as consultees, but plans should not be explicitly or purely at their direction...

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