Clause 32 - Approval of plans

Part of Higher Education Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:00 am on 9 March 2004.

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Photo of Mr Tim Collins Mr Tim Collins Conservative, Westmorland and Lonsdale 10:00, 9 March 2004

The hon. Member for Cambridge has made an interesting contribution and she raises a significant point. As she rightly said, there is a need for clarification, and I want to press the Minister on one issue. Is he confident that any advice that he may give the hon. Lady and the Association of Colleges will stand up to scrutiny in the UK and European courts? It has been a common theme of our deliberations that higher education institutions are independent, and although their public role is hugely significant, they are not formal parts of the public sector.

The hon. Lady correctly identified some of the association's concerns, which are perhaps understandable, and I am sure that the Minister will be mindful of the fact that, sadly, this is not a matter on which any Minister can issue a firm guarantee that no action will be taken, because autonomous or, indeed, independent institutions are subject to UK and EU competition regulation. I would be grateful if he could deal with that point.