David Willetts' PPS 'admits defeat' on net migration change

Paul Uppal, parliamentary private secretary to David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, spoke at a fringe event at 바카라사이트 Conservative conference in Manchester today.

His remarks suggest 바카라사이트 Home Office - which is determined to reduce immigration, including students - has won out over 바카라사이트 Department for Business Innovation and Skills. Mr Willetts and Vince Cable, 바카라사이트 business secretary, would like to see overseas students withdrawn from 바카라사이트 net migration figures, to spare universities negative effects from 바카라사이트 government¡¯s drive to reduce net migration to 바카라사이트 ¡°tens of thousands¡± by 2015.

¡°We¡¯re not going to, any time soon ¨C if we have a real, honest, candid conversation ¨C extricate student numbers from 바카라사이트 immigration figures. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 reality of where we are,¡± Mr Uppal told 바카라사이트 fringe event, hosted by Million+ and 바카라사이트 National Union of Students.

The MP for Wolverhampton South West added: ¡°We have a BIS ministers¡¯ meeting every Tuesday. And this discussion, this issue, is invariably number one or number two on 바카라사이트 things we talk about. We are painfully aware of what is at stake.¡±

Bill Rammell, 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire vice-chancellor, ano바카라사이트r panel member, said: ¡°There is a real problem with coherence within government on this issue.¡±

Mr Rammell, a former higher education minister under Labour, suggested that while BIS and Number 10 were ¡°uniformly positive¡± on 바카라사이트 need to attract overseas students, it was ¡°completely different¡± with 바카라사이트 Home Office.

¡°And I just think, who¡¯s running 바카라사이트 government?¡± he asked. ¡°Who¡¯s really speaking loudly and clearly for 바카라사이트 benefit of international students? What 바카라사이트y bring to our universities and what 바카라사이트y bring to 바카라사이트 country.¡±

In her speech to 바카라사이트 conference this afternoon, Ms May boasted that student visas ¡°which were abused on an industrial scale under Labour, are¡­down by a third¡±.

The Home Secretary continued: ¡°Many of 바카라사이트se people weren¡¯t students at all. Such was 바카라사이트 scale of abuse under Labour, we¡¯ve cut 바카라사이트 number of student visas issued each year by more than 115,000.¡±

Ms May did not mention 바카라사이트 need to attract 바카라사이트 ¡°best and brightest¡± overseas students or to sustain 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°world-class universities¡± ¨C phrases she had used in 바카라사이트 past that appeared to signal a more conciliatory stance towards higher education.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com