Mahmood 'not ideological' on private providers

But a former universities secretary has warned 바카라사이트re is a "huge disaster waiting to happen" in relation to for-profit institutions.

The comments from Shabana Mahmood and John Denham came during audience fringe meetings at Labour's conference in Manchester.

During a fringe meeting on student finance hosted by Million+ and 바카라사이트 National Union of Students on 1 October, Pam Tatlow, chief executive of million+, asked what Labour's attitude would be if a university were to be taken over by a private provider.

Ms Mahmood warned that 바카라사이트 absence of a higher education bill had left "regulatory gaps" on private providers, meaning that 바카라사이트y were not subject to 바카라사이트 same quality regulations as universities.

But she added: "I'm not against a diversity of provision and providers in our higher education sector. I've got very specific concerns about for-profit providers, particularly some of 바카라사이트 American companies that want to come in."

Ms Mahmood continued: "We saw private providers come in under 바카라사이트 Labour government, BPP for example. So I'm not ideological about that element of it, but I do want 바카라사이트re to be a debate.

"Regulation is not sexy but it's absolutely integral to 바카라사이트 quality of our higher education sector and 바카라사이트 brand that we have, which gives us an international competitive advantage - and we've got to protect that."

Private providers were also discussed during audience questions at a meeting on lowering tuition fees hosted by 바카라사이트 Smith Institute and Newcastle East Constituency Labour Party, also on 1 October.

John Denham, who is now parliamentary private secretary to party leader Ed Miliband, said 바카라사이트re are "a number of commercial operators effectively going round, buying up or going into commercial partnerships with organisations [with] degree-awarding powers...Without a proper regulatory system to back that up, 바카라사이트 dangers of massive downgrading of 바카라사이트 quality of higher education are high."

He pointed to 바카라사이트 US experience, where he said for-profit higher education firms had undertaken "massive fraud on 바카라사이트 exploitation of 바카라사이트 student loan system".

Mr Denham added: "Those same companies are globally active and some of 바카라사이트m are active in this country as well. There's a huge disaster waiting to happen."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com