HL Deb 26 January 1967 vol 279 cc676-7

3.16 p.m.

LORD ALPORT

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider the timing of the introduction of increased fees for overseas students so as to avoid hardship to individuals and administrative complications, and whether they will now consult representative bodies affected by the increase.]

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, as my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science made clear in his Statement on December 21, Her Majesty's Government regret that it was not possible to give more than eight months' notice of the proposed changes, but I can assure noble Lords that they took these particular points into account before reaching their decision. The Government will, of course, consider any special problems put to them by representative bodies.

LORD ALPORT

My Lords, has the noble Lord's attention been drawn to a letter by the Principal of London University in The Times earlier this week, and to the points which he made in that letter? Does that not in any way cause the Government to reconsider the decision that they have made, in view of the fact that it was stated in that letter that no previous consultation had been undertaken with the authorities concerned?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, of course I read the letter in The Times and I have read the other related correspondence in The Times. Some of it supported the action taken, some did not. So far as Consultation is concerned, I should have thought it would be agreed that the body to be consulted is the University Grants Committee. They were in fact consulted, and although it is not the practice to disclose the advice tendered by that Committee I can say that the Government would not have been willing to take this step if the U.G.C. had been against it in principle.

LORD ALPORT

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether the U.G.C. is the right body for consultations in this matter'? Would not the Committee of Vice-Chancellors be more authoritative?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the University Grants Committee was set up for the purpose of consultation with the Government, and I should have thought that it was more representative than the Vice-Chancellors' Committee.