§ Mr. MansTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will announce the membership of the national committee of inquiry into higher education, and its terms of reference. [29330]
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe national committee of inquiry into higher education faces an important and challenging task. Higher education has a vital role to play in raising the levels of the nation's skills and competitiveness and thus enhancing our capacity to generate wealth and to improve our quality of life. The national committee of inquiry will make recommendations on how the purposes, shape, structure, size and funding of higher education should develop to meet the needs of the United Kingdom over the next 20 years. It will have a significant influence on future generations of students, on the development of universities and colleges, and on the wider economy, society and culture of the country.
My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland and I are therefore grateful to all those who responded to our consultations on the committee's composition and draft terms of reference. In the light of those responses, we are pleased to appoint the following members:
- Sir Ron Dearing (Chairman) and Professor John Arbuthnott: Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde
- Baroness Dean of Thornton le Fylde: (formerly Brenda Dean)
- Ms Judith Evans: Director of Corporate Personnel, Sainbury's
- Sir Ron Garrick Managing Director and Chief Executive of Weir Group
- Sir Geoffrey Holland: Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter
- Professor Diana Laurillard: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Technology Development) of the Open University
- Mrs P. A. Morris: Headteacher, The Blue School, Wells
- Sir Ronald Oxburgh: Rector of Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
- Dr. David Potter: Chairman of Psion Plc
- Sir George Quigley: Chairman of Ulster Bank
- Sir William Stubbs: Chief Executive of the Further Education Funding Council and Rector Designate of the London Institute
- Sir Richard Sykes: Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of Glaxo-Wellcome Plc
- Professor David Watson: Director of the University of Brighton
- Professor Sir David Weatherall: Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford
- Professor Adrian Webb: Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan
- Mr. Simon Wright: Education and Welfare Officer, Students Union, the University of Wales College of Cardiff.
We are grateful to these members for agreeing to serve on this important inquiry.
We are placing a copy of the list of members and the full terms of reference in the Library.
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