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(i) the cost of any works to the house,
(ii) any service charge payable in respect of the house for works, whether or not to the house, and
(iii) any service charge or other amount payable in respect of the house for insurance, whether or not of the house, and
(b) to enable the purchaser to discharge, or to discharge on his behalf, any of the following--
(i) so much as is still outstanding of any advance or further advance which ranks in priority to the charge taking effect by virtue of this section,
(ii) any arrears of interest on such an advance or further advance, and
(iii) any costs and expenses incurred in enforcing payment of any such interest, or repayment (in whole or in part) of any such advance or further advance.
(6) Where different parts of an advance or further advance are made for different purpses, each of those parts shall be regarded as a separate advance or further advance for the purposes of this section.".'
Clause 119
Voluntary disposals by housing associations
Amendments made : No. 93, in page 119, line 26 [Clause 119], leave out to (2C)' and insert and (2B)'.
No. 94, in page 119, line 32, leave out from beginning to end of line 18 on page 120 and insert--
(2A) The following, namely--
(a) any advance which is made otherwise than for the purpose mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(b) and is secured by a legal charge having priority to the charge taking effect by virtue of this paragraph, and
(b) any further advance which is so secured,
shall rank in priority to that charge if, and only if, the housing association by written notice served on the institution concerned gives its consent ; and the housing association shall so give its consent if the purpose of the advance or further advance is an approved purpose.
(2B) The housing association may at any time by written notice served on an approved lending institution postpone the charge taking effect by virtue of this paragraph to any advance or further advance which--
(a) is made to the purchaser by that institution, and
(b) is secured by a legal charge not having priority to that charge ;
and the housing association shall serve such a notice if the purpose of the advance or further advance is an approved purpose.".' No. 95, in page 120, leave out lines 21 and 22 and insert "(5) The approved purposes for the purposes of this paragraph are--
(a) to enable the purchaser to defray, or to defray on his behalf, any of the following--
(i) the cost of any works to the house,
(ii) any service charge payable in respect of the house for works, whether or not to the house, and
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(iii) any service charge or other amount payable in respect of the house for insurance, whether or not of the house, and(b) to enable the purchaser to discharge, or to discharge on his behalf, any of the following--
(i) so much as is still outstanding of any advance or further advance which ranks in priority to the charge taking effect by virtue of this paragraph,
(ii) any arrears of interest on such an advance or further advance, and
(iii) any costs and expenses incurred in enforcing payment of any such interest, or repayment (in whole or in part) of any such advance or further advance ;
and in this sub-paragraph service charge' has the meaning given by section 621A of the Housing Act 1985.
(6) Where different parts of an advance or further advance are made for different purposes, each of those parts shall be regarded as a separate advance or further advance for the purposes of this paragraph.".'-- [Mr. Baldry.]
Clause 127
Rent to loan scheme : related amendments
Amendment made : No. 101, in page 133, line 18, at end insert ( ) In section 71, in subsection (1)(d), after "63(2)" there shall be inserted "or (3)".'.-- [Mr. Baldry.]
Clause 131
Right to compensation for improvements
Amendment made : No. 102, in page 138, line 5, after when', insert (i)'.
No. 103, in page 138, line 10, at end insert--
(ii) there is a change of landlord ;
(iii) it is assigned to a new tenant.'.-- [Mr. Baldry.]
Clause 111
New rights with respect to such disposals
Amendment made : No. 90, in page 114, line 2, at end insert and any reference to a block of flats specified in a notice under section 84(2) above is a reference to a block each of the flats in which is so specified.'-- [Mr. Baldry.]
Clause 136
Further provision as to allocation of housing
Amendment made : No. 104, in page 141, line 32, after housing', insert
, or of housing in respect of which the local authority may nominate the tenant,'.-- [Mr. Baldry.]
Clause 138
Other amendments of 1987 Act
Amendments made : No. 105, in page 142, line 14, after (price)', insert (a)'.
No. 110, in page 142, line 11 after (1)', insert--
In section 17 of the 1987 Act (management of local authority houses), in subsection (1), the words "and exercised by" shall cease to have effect.
(2) .'.
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No. 111, in page 142, line 11, leave out the 1987' and insert that'.No. 106, in page 142, line 15, at end insert
(b
(after subsection (3) there shall be inserted ) "(3A) There shall be deducted from the discount an amount equal to
(a
(any previous discount, or the aggregate of any previous discounts, received by )
(i
(the tenant ;)
(ii
(the tenant's spouse (including a person living with him as if they were husband and wife), if living with him at the time of the purchase in relation to which the discount is being claimed ;) (iii
(a deceased spouse or person mentioned in paragraph (ii), if living with the tenant at the time of death ;)
(iv
(any joint purchaser of the house,)
on any previous exercise of the right to purchase a house under this Part or under Part V of the Housing Act 1985 ; less
(b
(any amount of such previous discount recovered under section 72 or under section 155 of the Housing Act 1985.".'.-- [Mr. Baldry.] ) Further consideration adjourned.--[Mr. Chapman.]
To be further considered tomorrow.
NOISE AND STATUTORY NUISANCE BILL [Money]
Queen's Recommendation having been signified--
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved,
That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Bill, it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of any increase attributable to the Act in the sums payable out of money so provided under any other enactment.-- [Mr. Sackville.]
MEDICINES INFORMATION BILL [Money]
Queen's Recommendation having been signified--
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved,
That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Medicines Information Bill, it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of any expenses of a Minister of the Crown in consequence of the Act.-- [Mr. Sackville.]
MEDICINES INFORMATION BILL [Ways and Means] Resolved,
That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Medicines Information Bill, it is expedient to authorise--
(a) the taking into account, in determining the amount of fees to be fixed in accordance with section 1 of the Medicines Act 1971, of any expenses of a Minister of the Crown in consequence of the Act resulting from that Bill ; and
(b) the payment of sums into the Consolidated Fund.-- [Mr. Sackville.]
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Ordered,
That Mr. Stanley Orme be discharged from the Trade and Industry Committee and Ann Coffey be added to the Committee.-- [Sir Fergus Montgomery, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.]
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Sunderland University
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.-- [Mr. Chapman.]
11.32 pm
Mr. Roland Boyes (Houghton and Washington) : Tonight I am paying a tribute to the staff and students of the new Sunderland university. I decided to speak about the university because, as one of the Members of Parliament representing Sunderland, I am extremely glad and proud that university status has been achieved, for the benefit of the staff, students and community.
Every institution has to have a leader. In Dr. Anne Wright we are fortunate to have a person who will lead the university into the 21st century. Dr. Wright has already stamped her mark on the city of Sunderland in a big way. She has ensured that there is a major relationship with industry and has speedily established strong links with the wider community.
The pro-vice-chancellor has said :
"The next decade is going to be a time of great change for the university."
It is also a time of great change for the city of Sunderland. The two will work closely together as the 21st century aspiration begins to come to life.
A contributor to "Sparks", the university staff magazine, says : "Hand in hand with the changes go vast benefits for the city of Sunderland and its residents--generating directly and indirectly thousands of full-time and part-time jobs, encouraging investment and supporting new businesses."
That can only be to the good. Too many jobs have been lost in the city, and activity at the university in many different ways will result in very many jobs being created.
The pro-vice-chancellor recently wrote :
"The university currently has around 48 buildings, some of which are very recent purpose built, others which are longer in vintage. As we cope with the changes taking place in our education, it is our aim not to diversify the campus further but to have a smaller concentration of more purpose built accommodation."
Once again, that will benefit the people of the area and create more jobs.
It has been a good time for those who wish to participate in some way in welcoming the new university and at the same time welcoming the new city status of Sunderland.
There are many problems in the north-east and Sunderland has had more than its share. We have seen the destruction of the shipping industry and the decimation of the collieries. However, this evening I wish to concentrate primarily on the role of the university. For many years Sunderland has had a polytechnic and it has produced a rich vein of students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. According to the history book the poly was designated in 1969, but its origins can be traced back to 1860, and I reckon that that is a few years before my time and the Minister's time.
Sunderland polytechnic was one of the first. To a large extent the poly was able to flourish because of the full support of the local authority, then the Sunderland borough council. Thirty years later, the polytechnic lost its title and the university of Sunderland was born. The change to university status has my full support. In reality it was too long in coming. The change from polytechnic to university has led to some interesting situations.
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My niece Julie, for example, left school in the hope of getting on an undergraduate course. Julie took the first part of her degree at the Leicester polytechnic. Later, she did a year in industry, and she will graduate, it is hoped with a good degree from the de Montfort university. There must be many students throughout the country who have had experience similar to that of my beloved niece Julie. In the past, some students who could not get on a university course settled for a place in a polytechnic. There were two different institutions, and one did not have the same bite as the other. In effect, the university place meant more than the polytechnic place, although I must confess that I never believed that to be the case. It has been asked "What's in a name?" In this instance, a great deal, I would think.I had many friends who worked in the polys and they produced research of the very highest level, comparable with that of any university. For some time I had a very bright woman working in my office. Hanna had completed a master's degree at Sunderland poly in economics, and her husband completed his PhD at Sunderland poly too. Yes, I am pleased that our higher education institutions are now known by the same name--university.
The university of Sunderland has had a strong school of art over the years, and I was extremely glad to be invited to meet the head of the art department, Flavia Swan. Flavia runs a large school of art where students turn out work of the highest quality in painting, sculpture and other subjects.
However, I was more than pleased when I discovered that there was a photography course in the department. The quality of the work that I saw was very good. The two teachers on the course had to work hard to satisfy all the demands of the students. I suppose I could get away with a hint at this time. I should like to see the photography department strengthened and an exhibition area built in one of the new buildings--accessible, I should hope, to the public.
For many years we had to use the silver halide process, though in the next century we will see new processes using computers and digital methods to create new styles of photographs. I am fortunate to be invited to the university photographic department from time to time to chat to students about short-term and long-term changes in photography. I look forward to continuing to do that.
The university has plans to grow in size to 16,000 students by 1996 and to achieve its target of 18,000 students by the year 2000. Dr. Wright believes that the distinction between full-time and part-time attendance modes will fade as modularisation advances.
Additionally, the number and types of courses have changed to meet the changing demands of our ever growing and more complex society. Many new departments and courses will flourish, either by additions to existing ones or the creation of new ones. It is a most exciting time for all of us who have looked forward to the new university and its growth plans.
An important aspect of a university is its relationship with industry. I was glad to be invited by Dr. Wright to hear a fine speech by Peter Wickens, director of personnel and information systems for Nissan. He had been awarded an honorary professorship of the university. I can think of no one more deserving of such an honour. Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. is based in my constituency ; it builds fine cars and has created thousands of jobs for the local population. We are very fortunate to have Nissan in
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Washington. The company has a role to play in the city of Sunderland and in the north-east generally. As Nissan prospers, it is only to be expected that other companies will locate in the area. In partnership with industrial giants--Nissan, Vickers, Grove Worldwide, Komatsu--the university's school of engineering and advanced technology has launched the first course in the United Kingdom to combine specialist training in automotive design and manufacture. Practically based, and taught in a purpose-built design studio setting, that unique programme offers options from graduate to postgraduate level. The programme is geared towards producing highly skilled and flexible graduates for direct entry into the north-east's burgeoning automotive industry.The availability of specialist consultancy and expertise has been a major factor in the decision of several Japanese companies to locate in the north -east. The university has a Japanese studies division which supports Japanese industries moving into the region and provides practical training for local companies looking to expand into the Japanese market.
The university also has an important role in the community which can be illustrated by two interesting projects. The Hendon nature space is an award-winning, student-run nature reserve developed on derelict industrial land for use by local school and community groups.
The university, Sunderland football club and the city have a role to play. Many believe that the heart of the city is Roker park, Sunderland football club's ground. The university plays an important role by sponsoring a soccer player and running a certificate course in crowd and stadium management--a brilliant innovation. The course has been designed in partnership with Sunderland football club, local authorities and the emergency services. It is the first course in the United Kingdom to provide specialist training in safety for stadium managers and stewards. Disasters such as Bradford, Heysel and Hillsborough have shown the need for such a co -ordinated approach to crowd safety. It is a credit to the university that it has established such a suitable course.
The university is also committed to improving access to its courses for women, mature students and other groups who all too often miss out on higher education. The university of Sunderland recruits more students from access courses than any other north-east university. We recruited 300 in 1992 and more than half the current student body was 21 or over at entry. Graduates in 1992--this must be fairly unique--included a family of four : a mother, father, daughter and son-in-law, who all graduated on the same B.Ed course. To top that, a 70-year-old grandmother graduated on the same course.
I have given the Minister notice of some questions that I should like to have answered. First, the long overdue opening up of higher education pioneered by the university of Sunderland and the former polytechnic has been a considerable achievement. However, given the Government's current policy of consolidating student numbers in the higher education sector, is there not a danger of much of this excellent work being undone?
Secondly, the north-east has one of the lowest higher education participation rates, and there is a real danger of mature students being squeezed out by the consolidation.
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Is not this to be regretted, bearing in mind the urgent need for a skilled work force to lead the economy out of recession?Thirdly, Sunderland, along with many other new universities, performed well in its first entry to the Higher Education Funding Council for England research rating exercise, despite the fact that the former polytechnics have historically received only 1 per cent. of Government funding for this area. Will the Government take this considerable achievement into account and develop a more equitable funding system for research in the unified higher education sector? Finally, given the university of Sunderland's excellent links with business, industry and the community, will the valuable role of higher education institutions be properly addressed in the measures being introduced on employment and retraining?
I should like to conclude with the words of Dr. Wright, whom I respect and admire greatly. During an address at the annual awards ceremonies for 1992, she said :
"A new city, with a new university, but in celebrating change we also celebrate history and continuity, the University of Sunderland has the same commitment to providing knowledge and skills, confidence and capability for life and for work, to fulfil individual potential and contribute to society and its economy."
11.49 pm
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