Academic Freedom in Higher Education

Mr Richard Holden, the Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, asked the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, about the Government's assessment of the adequacy of levels of academic freedom in the higher education sector. In her response, the Secretary of State stated that the Government fully supports academic freedom and that higher education must be a space for robust discussion and intellectual rigour. She explained that the recent decision to pause the implementation of further parts of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 was precisely because the Government believes in academic freedom and wants to ensure that the legal framework is workable. The Secretary of State said that Baroness Smith in the House of Lords and officials are speaking with a range of stakeholders, and their views will inform the Government's consideration of all options for protecting academic freedom in the future. Mr Holden followed up by asking the Secretary of State to give the House a "cast-iron guarantee" that the decision to reverse the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act was not influenced by the consequences of the new freedom of speech duties it would have imposed on universities in terms of their financial relationship with authoritarian regimes such as China. The Secretary of State provided that reassurance, stating that the Government looked very carefully at how the legislation would operate and was concerned about the unintended consequences, particularly for minority communities. Tonia Antoniazzi, the Labour MP for Gower, congratulated the Secretary of State on taking "hard decisions" and asked for reassurances that she will protect female academics, such as Jo Phoenix, Kathleen Stock and Selina Todd, from being "bullied and hounded out of successful university careers." The Secretary of State responded by emphasizing the importance of having strong freedom of expression in universities and ensuring that students are exposed to a range of views, even those they might find difficult or disagree with. Finally, Gagan Mohindra, the Conservative MP for South West Hertfordshire, welcomed the Secretary of State and asked for clarification on the Government's alternative plans to protect academic freedom in the higher education sector, now that the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will not be implemented. The Secretary of State acknowledged the importance of freedom of expression and academic freedom, stating that the Office for Students sets out duties and many of these principles are already enshrined in law. However, she reiterated the need to get the legal framework right, to avoid the potential for hate speech, including Holocaust denial, to be spread on campus.