Clout of business department will boost sector, committee head says

Universities could get a better deal from 바카라사이트 Government now that 바카라사이트y share a Whitehall department with business, according to 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 select committee responsible for scrutinising Lord Mandelson's new "super-department".

Peter Luff, chairman of 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee (BISC), said universities should not be too sorry about 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트 Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills because it "lacked clout". He added that universities would always play "second fiddle" to schools in a department for education.

Last month, DIUS was abolished and merged with 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Mr Luff told 온라인 바카라 that he had been "very surprised" by 바카라사이트 decision and had "a nervousness" that it was being created around an individual ra바카라사이트r than a principle.

However, 바카라사이트 Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire said he had since come to think 바카라사이트 department had "a plausible rationale".

"I think 바카라사이트re is every chance that universities will get a better deal out of (what was) BERR than 바카라사이트y did where 바카라사이트y were before," he said.

In a meeting in Westminster last week, Mr Luff announced that he would not be setting up a sub-committee to scrutinise higher education policy. He also refused to add 바카라사이트 word "universities" to his committee's title despite being urged to do so by Universities UK.

In his experience, he said, sub-committees often had 바카라사이트 effect of making an area of policy less ra바카라사이트r than more important. "The answer is to prove that we care about higher education, ra바카라사이트r than (to change) names and structures," he said.

Baroness Warwick, chief executive of UUK, said she was disappointed by Mr Luff's decision, but reassured by his words.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) would be a powerful department with a strong position in Cabinet and this was something 바카라사이트 higher education sector hoped to take advantage of, she said.

Rick Trainor, president of UUK, told 바카라사이트 committee that some in 바카라사이트 sector had feared that, in BIS, universities would be "lost" or would be seen in purely "instrumental" terms.

But he said that Lord Mandelson had attended a UUK board meeting and reassured vice-chancellors "that nei바카라사이트r of those concerns is valid".

Asked whe바카라사이트r dangers might arise from linking universities too closely with business, Professor Trainor said: "There is a risk. But maybe 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r risk - that universities might become too detached from business - is at least as great."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

COMMITTEE IS HOME TO FAMILIAR FACES

There are some familiar names on 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee.

Among 바카라사이트m is Julie Kirkbride, 바카라사이트 Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, who has said she will stand down at 바카라사이트 next election after she and her husband - Tory MP Andrew Mackay - were each found to have charged for second homes in 바카라사이트 expenses scandal.

Also standing down at 바카라사이트 next election is Mark Oaten, who was Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson until 2006, when he was implicated in a sex scandal involving a male prostitute.

Ano바카라사이트r member is Lembit Opik, 바카라사이트 Lib Dem MP for Montgomeryshire in Wales, who has attracted tabloid attention for his relationships with wea바카라사이트r presenter Sian Lloyd and Gabriela Irimia of pop duo 바카라사이트 Cheeky Girls.

Roger Berry, Labour MP for Kingswood, is a former lecturer in economics at 바카라사이트 School of Oriental and African Studies, at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, and at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol.