Sharon today asked the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his view was on the proposed academic boycott of Israel. Sharon also asked what more could be done to encourage employers to co-fund University education for their employers. The full text of the exchanges can be found below.

2. Mrs. Sharon Hodgson (Gateshead, East and Washington, West) (Lab): What steps he is taking to encourage employers to co-fund higher education; and if he will make a statement. [205661]

The Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education (Bill Rammell): I recently launched our high level skills consultation document, which sets out our proposals to increase employer engagement in higher education. We have announced new funding rising to at least £50 million by the end of the decade for courses funded with employers. Already, more than
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30 universities are developing co-funding proposals with employers, and I expect the consultation to stimulate further interest.

Mrs. Hodgson: The Government are rightly widening access to higher education for young people, but what about people like me who left school and did not have the privilege of going to university? Many people already in the work force would benefit from higher education, so does my hon. Friend agree that we should encourage them to widen and broaden their education and skills?

Bill Rammell: I very much agree with my hon. Friend. Seventy-four per cent. of the 2020 work force are already in work at present, and unless universities can work with those people to take them to the highest level of skills and education we will not compete internationally. Substantial numbers of people are prepared to take up those opportunities; 6 million adults in the work force have A-level equivalent qualifications, but are not yet at degree level. I remind those who say that such initiatives will not succeed that although 31 per cent. of our adult work force are currently educated to degree level, in countries such as Japan, the United States and Canada the figure is already 40 per cent. We need to take things forward with real alacrity.

T6. [205655] Mrs. Sharon Hodgson (Gateshead, East and Washington, West) (Lab): Can my right hon. Friend make a statement on the proposed motion from some university and college unions calling for an academic boycott of Israel?

Bill Rammell: The Government are completely opposed to such a boycott, which will harm rather than help moves towards peace and reconciliation in the middle east. It is significant that the motion before this year’s
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University and College Union falls well short of calls for an outright boycott. I think that that is because the proposers of the motion know that there is no widespread support for that among UCU members. Both Israel and the occupied territories contain both progressives and reactionaries, and the problem with boycotts is that they make the job of progressives much more difficult and entrench the position of the reactionaries.

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