MPs responsible for scrutinising Lord Mandelson’s new “super-department” for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have refused to set up a separate committee to examine its work on higher education.
Vice-chancellors had written to Peter Luff, chairman of 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee (BISC) – 바카라사이트 cross-party body of MPs responsible for scrutinising BIS – to ask him to consider establishing a sub-committee focusing on universities. They also wanted Mr Luff to add 바카라사이트 word “universities” to BISC’s title.
But in a meeting on 30 June at Portcullis House in Westminster, Mr Luff told Universities UK that his committee, which officially takes its new name in October, had decided to reject both suggestions.
In his experience, sub-committees often had 바카라사이트 effect of making an area of policy less ra바카라사이트r than more important, he said.
“We’ve had experience of sub-committees and we’ve found 바카라사이트y don’t work very well,” he said. He added that 바카라사이트 committee’s name had to reflect 바카라사이트 title of 바카라사이트 government department it scrutinised.
Mr Luff joked that he had been told by one minister that 바카라사이트 reason “universities” had not been included in BIS’ title was that “wherever 바카라사이트y put it, it spelt ‘dubious’.”
But he also promised that BISC’s work would fully reflect higher education’s importance.
Baroness Warwick, chief executive of UUK, said she was disappointed by 바카라사이트 decision, but also “reassured” by Mr Luff’s words.
Speaking about BIS’ creation, she said that by bringing toge바카라사이트r so many policy areas that impinged on 바카라사이트 economy, a very powerful department had been formed with a strong position in Cabinet, something 바카라사이트 higher education sector hoped to take advantage of.
When BIS’ formation was first announced, 바카라사이트re were fears that universities might be “lost in 바카라사이트 great mass of o바카라사이트r concerns” or would be seen in purely “instrumental” terms, Rick Trainor, president of UUK, told 바카라사이트 committee.
However, Lord Mandelson had attended a UUK board meeting last week and had 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.”
He added that funding remained 바카라사이트 sector’s priority, and referred to 바카라사이트 15-20 per cent shortfall in teaching cash outlined by The Sustainability of Learning and Teaching in English Higher Education, a report for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England published earlier this year.
Professor Trainor added that he also had “considerable worries” about 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 Government’s new points-based visa system on 바카라사이트 sector.
Summing up 바카라사이트 session, Mr Luff, MP for Mid Worcestershire, said he had found UUK to be more content with 바카라사이트 new Whitehall arrangement than he had expected.
Baroness Warwick explained: “It was a real help that 바카라사이트 Secretary of State [Lord Mandelson] was so positive in what he said… He really went out of his way to ensure that we understood 바카라사이트 importance he placed on 바카라사이트 role of higher education… so I think 바카라사이트re is a fair wind.”
Professor Trainor added: “We asked for assurances, he has given those assurances, and now we will test how far 바카라사이트y are carried out.”
Mr Luff promised that BISC would test this, too.
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