HC Deb 18 July 1978 vol 954 cc254-5
11. Mr. van Straubenzee

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she expects to make known her decisions on the recommendations of the Oakes report.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

In the next two or three months.

Mr. van Straubenzee

Does the right hon. Lady envisage thereafter a period of consultation, so that her decisions can be widely discussed?

Mrs. Williams

Yes, indeed. My understanding is that already consideration is being given to some aspects of the report with the Council of Local Education Authorities. We are at present receiving a great many submissions on the report, which will be carefully considered before the Government give their final conclusions on the matter.

Mr. Ron Thomas

Concerning higher education, is my right hon. Friend aware that many people feel that our universities are not accountable in terms of the funds they receive from the public purse, and that vice-chancellors at universities quite often have a very bad reputation in terms of industrial relations, industrial democracy and safety? Will my right hon. Friend institute some kind of inquiry into the whole set-up in our universities?

Mrs. Williams

On the first part of the question, I do not wholly agree with my hon. Friend, because I think that the universities in Britain have maintained an international standard in a way that some others have not. With regard to the second part of the question, however, I think that the vice-chancellors and university authorities should give very careful attention to the involvement of their staffs, both teaching and non-teaching, in the administration of universities. That is a matter that I hope they will pursue in the light of the White Paper and other progress made by the Government in this respect.

Dr. Hampson

Does the Secretary of State agree that it would be wrong to prejudge the decision of this House and that, as legislation will be needed to implement the recommendations of the Oakes report, the stories that she intends to set up a shadow system in the meantime, before she gets the legislation, are quite wrong?

Secondly, is there not a policy vacuum at present in higher education, since we have no decisions on policy beyond 1981? Therefore, when shall we have decisions on the White Paper? Should not this House debate them first?

Mrs. Williams

On the first part of the question, it was not our initiative but that of the Council of Local Education Authorities which led to the consideration of preliminary work on the establishment of regional bodies, but it has been made quite clear by the council and ourselves that this will in no way prejudice the conclusions about the report, nor can it do so. Secondly, I would welcome, and so would my hon. Friend the Minister of State, a discussion and debate in the House when time is available.

Thirdly, I think that the hon. Member, of all people, perhaps, would not object to the fact that we are trying to discuss very widely future directions in higher education through the medium of our discussion document. This is a real attempt to involve higher education institutions in the outcome for the future.