Results 1-20 of 2,320 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:David Willetts

Business, Innovation and Skills: Apprenticeships (12 Nov 2009)

David Willetts: If the Minister is so keen on apprenticeships, will he explain to the House why, in the leaked document that I have before me, he proposes cuts to the funding of apprenticeships, and why he is doing so little to help apprentices who are losing their jobs during the recession? Why does he not adopt our policy of a clearing house to help apprentices who lose their jobs to find new employers? If...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Skills for Growth (11 Nov 2009)

David Willetts: There is much in this statement that the Opposition welcome. We welcome what the Minister has said about ensuring that practical apprenticeships get UCAS points—something that we specifically proposed in our Green Paper last year. We welcome the proposal on scholarships for apprentices to go on to university—something that I proposed in my party conference speech in 2008. We...

Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Higher Education (3 Nov 2009) has video

David Willetts: We welcome the publication of the document and I am grateful to the Minister for giving me advance sight of it. It has, of course, been a long time coming. The whole exercise began in February 2008, so its gestation period matches that of a slightly premature elephant, I gather. Meanwhile, not only has the Secretary of State who launched the exercise moved on but the whole Department from...

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: I wonder whether the Minister is not holding in his head two completely inconsistent positions. Is he claiming the credit for those extra numbers, because some of those extra students are students whom universities should not have recruited, and he is going to fine those institutions for taking them on.

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: rose—

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: I was listening carefully to the hon. Lady's points. I had a conversation with a student at an FE college the other day who was having to do her course in fewer than 16 hours a week in order to remain on JSA, which is absurd. I commend to the hon. Lady our excellent report, which we produced last week, about getting people off welfare and into work, in which she will see some imaginative...

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: We have heard a quite extraordinary set of allegations in the past 10 minutes. There is no Conservative policy for an 8 per cent. interest rate for students, there is no £620 million cut, and the 10,000 extra places would be properly funded with extra cash going to the Exchequer. I suggest to the Minister that in the remaining 10 minutes of his speech he focuses on a practical problem...

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: So was I. I can tell the Minister that there is no such Conservative policy; as we make clear in our motion, we believe that student finance is something on which there should be a cross-party higher education funding review.

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: I am grateful to the Minister for the much more sober tone that he is now adopting. Will he clarify two points? First, he said that 640,000 students had got their money through. What is his latest estimate of the number of students who have applied, or are going to university, but have not yet had their financial assessment completed and are not yet receiving funding? Secondly, the Minister...

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: I beg to move, That this House congratulates those who have secured a higher education place for 2009-10 and wishes them well in their studies; regrets the increase in the number of applicants unable to secure a place this year; further regrets the financial difficulties faced by up to 175,000 students who started term without the loans and grants to which they are entitled; believes it is...

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: I certainly will enlighten the Minister on that point, because we think that Ministers are in an odd position. In their amendment to our motion, they claim credit for the large number of students going to university this year, but of course some of that is down to the demographic bulge that was caused by the higher birth rate in the early 1990s. Some of it, sadly, is also down to the fact...

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: The Minister wants to intervene again.

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: Extra cash will go to the Exchequer in the crisis year of 2010, because that is the year when we envisage there being a bulge in the number of student applications. It will bring extra receipts to the Exchequer, and, if I may say so as we reassemble after three party conferences, the crisis of student places has been acute this year and could be as bad next year, but only one party had any...

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: I see the Chairman of the Select Committee on Business, Innovation and Skills trying to catch me eye.

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: I am grateful to the Chairman of the Select Committee, because that is a very important point. The Opposition are committed to improving opportunities for young people—

Opposition Day — [17th Allotted Day]: Higher Education (14 Oct 2009) has video

David Willetts: No, I am reaching my conclusion. That means improving the opportunities to get young people into apprenticeships and training; getting them off benefit, as they suffer under a recession that this Government brought about; more places at university for them; and the proper administration of the loans and grants to which they are entitled. I therefore commend the motion to the House.

Business, Innovation and Skills: Graduate Job Prospects (16 Jul 2009) has video

David Willetts: Many proud parents will be attending their children's graduation ceremonies this week; indeed, I am one of them. I can report to the Minister that there is a lot of concern about the job prospects for graduates. Why does not he back the proposal that we have put forward to ensure that there are more opportunities for young graduates to go on to do taught masters courses at university? We have...

Bill Presented: Social Mobility and the Professions (11 Jun 2009) has video

David Willetts: I am sure that the Minister has looked at the evidence—I believe that the right hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) referred to this—from the Futuretrack report on applying for higher education, which presented findings from a survey of the class of 2006. It shows shocking ignorance about the options; a lot of people said that they wished that they had had access to advice....

Bill Presented: Social Mobility and the Professions (11 Jun 2009) has video

David Willetts: I welcome both the Minister to her new responsibilities, which include this important subject of social mobility, and this debate. I do not know whether she planned to have a debate on this subject within two days of becoming the Minister responsible for it, but it is welcome that she is at the Dispatch Box to speak on it. The right hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) is also in the...