Backbench Business Committee — Oral Evidence (2024-11-26)
1/4Welcome to this meeting of the Backbench Business Committee. We have only one application to hear this afternoon, which is from Adam Thompson, who wishes for a debate on the financial sustainability of higher education. Adam, please present your case.
Thank you very much, Chair. I come as the chair of the all-party parliamentary university group. Colleagues may be aware that the university sector has gone through a difficult time over the past couple of years, frankly. During that time, we have heard reports of a lot of significant financial discrepancies and difficulties in the university system with the fee structure, the way in which universities operate and their broad financial model. I am simplifying a little, but broadly, universities make a bit of money on international students, but they make a loss on research work, on home students and on all the supporting activities. That means that quite a lot of universities at the moment are going through a lot of financial difficulty. The Government have recently changed things a little so that home student fees have increased in line with inflation, or will increase in a few months’ time, but I think that the broad feeling in the university sector, and certainly among my colleagues in the all-party group, is that although that represents a vital measure to ensure that universities will not go bankrupt in the immediate future, it does not necessarily represent a long-term realignment of the universities’ financial model. I am appealing today for a debate on the financial sustainability of higher education, moving forward with a report that Universities UK produced recently, “Opportunity, growth and partnership: a blueprint for change”. The aim is to begin the conversation about understanding a possible long-term solution for an alternative financial model in the university sector. It is pertinent because we are going through the process of debating the increase in student fees, and many universities are going through a lot of difficulty at the moment. Thank you, Chair.
I note that your application is for Westminster Hall on either a Tuesday or a Thursday. The first slot that we have available is the second debate on Thursday 5 December. Could you take that slot if it were offered?
Let me just double-check my diary, Chair, but off the top of my head I do not think I have any problems with that. Thursday 5 December—what time slot was that again?
Well, that is a moot point. It is likely to be 3 o’clock.
Yes, that would be absolutely fine.
Are there any questions from colleagues? Everyone is happy, so thank you very much. The Clerks will be in touch with you shortly.
Brilliant. Thank you, colleagues. Have a lovely day.