Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill

I thank all Members for their important contributions throughout the Bill’s consideration. More t...

The Alliance of Pro-Life Students says that more than 70% of pro-life students face situations in...

I wholeheartedly agree with my right hon. Friend. Of course, they deserve and have a right to be ...

Will the Minister confirm that the Secretary of State will maintain the ability to direct the dir...

Of course, we work hand in hand with the OfS and if there were concerns, we would be able to dire...

Will the Minister give way?

I will, and then I will make progress.

I am grateful. I am sure the Minister will be aware that institutions such as the University of C...

The hon. Gentleman raises a few points. In new clause 2, “constituent institutions” mean colleges...

The Secretary of State was escorted off the premises by security following his attendance to give...

My hon. Friend is right. We need a cultural change, and legislation of this nature can spur such ...

I thank my right hon. Friend for the significant time that she has invested in speaking to my col...

I can confirm that Confucius institutes fall within the scope of these proposals, as I have outli...

Following the intervention by my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Alicia Kearns), I...

Many countries have worked with their university sectors to enhance the choice on offer. For the ...

I appreciate that the provision is mainly about free speech in UK universities, but does the Mini...

I have recently been alerted to this issue and I am actively investigating it. I will update my r...

Before I discuss the amendments in my name, I will briefly reflect on the Bill Committee. Over th...

I very much hope that when the Minister responds to new clause 4, she will acknowledge that the G...

The hon. Member is right. A pattern is clearly emerging, which I will describe and examine in due...

The standardisation provided by allowing a body such as a Select Committee to interview a person ...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We need more process, more transparency and an honest approac...

The hon. Gentleman is right that we had a useful, productive and positive exchange in Committee. ...

The right hon. Member was very involved in the Committee, and I thought that his contributions we...

Is the shadow Minister suggesting that by previous political association, someone can never be im...

I do not want to suggest that all people come from a position of partiality, but some are more pa...

The issue of impartiality in the appointment process was debated in detail in Committee. We had a...

My hon. Friend made some telling and constructive contributions in Committee, and I entirely agre...

The hon. Gentleman just came out with the throwaway line that he was thinking of applying for the...

Of course it was a throwaway line, but the job does pay £100,000. Perhaps the right hon. Gentlema...

You were not even there.

I read every word. I read them with interest.

Only last week, the HEPI student academic exp...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the legislation is totally unnecessary and divisive, with little e...

I thank my hon. Friend for her contribution. Yes, there are issues out there, but that is about t...

I am grateful to be called to speak so early, Madam Deputy Speaker. I want to focus my comments o...

The right hon. Gentleman is educating me. I have similar concerns in my constituency and across B...

The hon. Lady is right that a lot of Hong Kong citizens have come to the UK, and I embrace them a...

My right hon. Friend slightly understates the position in universities. He will be aware that Chi...

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. He and I are both members of IPAC, and we have seen all t...

It is an honour to follow the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan...

rose—

rose—

It does not seem very feminist, but I will give way to the right hon. Gentleman.

I have not heard of this case before. Did the student not go to the police? If she did, what happ...

I almost wish for the right hon. Gentleman’s sake that I had taken the other intervention. Has he...

I rise to urge the hon. Lady to name the institutions, because this Bill is about freedom of choi...

I will absolutely come on to naming some of those institutions. As I said, this was found by Elle...

I do not want to spoil the flow of my hon. Friend’s incredibly eloquent speech, but non-disclosur...

I absolutely agree, and the amendment clearly covers staff being able to talk about their experie...

It was a quote.

Yes, that’s right.

That Government Member said, “You can’t be forced to sign”, but that is ...

Benjamin Disraeli said:

“Upon the education of the people…the fate of this country depends....

rose—

Having said such nice things about the hon. Lady, it would be extremely impolite of me not to giv...

I say to the right hon. Member that, as Bill Committees go, it was a very enjoyable one. I thank ...

At the risk of putting our professional association in jeopardy, I say to the hon. Lady that I ag...

I think it might also be worth the Government having a look at the recent legislation that they h...

We are dealing with a complex subject. Free speech by its very nature means people saying all kin...

rose—

I can see that my right hon. Friend is about to make an erudite intervention.

You can always hope, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Does my right hon. Friend not feel as I do that the...

I agree entirely, which is precisely why this Bill is so welcome, but it needs to be part of a bi...

My right hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Does he not agree that much of the controvers...

Burke said, as you well know, Mr Deputy Speaker:

“He that struggles with us strengthens our...

Even if the right hon. Gentleman is offended, he is never offensive, so I always enjoy debating w...

Yes, but the problem is that that line moves with the times, with fad and fashion, with what I de...

rose—

But before I do so, I will happily give way to my right hon. Friend.

My right hon. Friend is so kind. He has just given a terrible example at the extreme end of the s...

Almost every part of the canon of our great literature now seems to come with a health warning. F...

No, no—Austen!

I thought my right hon. Friend was going to challenge my literary knowledge, but let us move to t...

I rise to speak to new clause 1, which stands in my name and in the names of my colleagues, my ri...

I rise to speak to new clause 3, but I wish first to welcome the significant work done by my righ...

I congratulate my hon. Friend on her new clause. I understand that the Government have moved on t...

I thank my right hon. Friend, who has been enormously supportive of the new clause. I agree. I wo...

Unlike all the other speakers in this debate, I was not on the Bill Committee, which is a shame, ...

I thank the hon. Lady for the stance she has taken in this House and in every role of her life. S...

I absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman. The belief that human life starts at conception is a ...

As ever, my hon. Friend is making a compelling case. University authorities are often either comp...

My right hon. Friend is right: this Bill is an important marker for universities, which will be f...

I want to challenge the idea that university students will all be walking like lemmings into the ...

I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. She gave a passionate speech, and I fully support the...

I have been cancelled many times.

I am very sorry to hear it. The hon. Lady absolutely should not be. What I am trying to say is th...

With the leave of the House, I will speak on the non-Government amendments. New clause 1 seeks to...

I am grateful that my right hon. Friend is addressing the amendment that stands in my name and th...

My right hon. Friend is correct. As I said, some universities have misinterpreted the Equality Ac...

On the point about advice, we are dealing with what has obviously become a contentious issue that...

If the right hon. Gentleman will allow me, I will get to that point later; he may intervene again...

As this now goes to the other place, could I just ask the Minister to think again on that particu...

I am a little taken aback by the comments of the right hon. Member, who refers to the relationshi...

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

I would like to take the opportuni...

I extend my thanks to all those involved in the passage of the Bill in Committee and on Second Re...

I will speak very briefly, making only three points in two minutes.

First, it is disappoint...

It is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Sir John Hay...