Extract from Lords consideration of Commons Reason and Amendments to the Higher Education and Research Bill - April 27
Friday, 28 April 2017 07:34
Lord Cormack (Con):...Although I welcome what the Minister said
today and what is in the Commons amendment before us, it does not
go far enough. There will be real interest in how the Government
are able to produce good statistics. It is 35 years ago almost to
the day when a famous BBC reporter in the Falklands said,
“I counted them all out, and I counted them all back”. We must
start doing that with students, and indeed with all immigrants.
However, we must not do anything that...Request free trial
(Con):...Although
I welcome what the Minister said today and what is in the Commons
amendment before us, it does not go far enough. There will be real
interest in how the Government are able to produce good statistics.
It is 35 years ago almost to the day when a famous BBC reporter in
the Falklands said, “I counted them all
out, and I counted them all back”. We must start doing that with
students, and indeed with all immigrants. However, we must not do
anything that damages our reputation—however gently—as a place
where students at undergraduate and post-graduate level from all
over the world can feel welcome. The more we can do to achieve that
welcome the better, and we must do everything we possibly can to
make sure that there are no implicit deterrents. I am sorry that
after a very good morning where the Government have made some very
real concessions, for which we are all extremely grateful, the
concession on this particular subject is not as great as it should
be. I hope my noble friend on the Front Bench will take note of
that and that we will come back before too long with a reinforced
Government Front Bench and a new determination to accept the logic
of the Hannay amendment...
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