§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to ensure academic freedom in(a) the conduct and publication of research and (b) university teaching. [118012]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 6 April 2000]: Higher education institutions are independent bodies, whose autonomy is enshrined in legislation. They conduct their own academic programmes, whether teaching or research, 48W as they see fit. Research directly commissioned by this Department is published as a matter of course, either by the Department or by the research institution. Our research contracts place no restrictions on the right of researchers to draw independent and objective conclusions.