Speech at the Promoting excellence in health research conference - 11/05/2010

Good afternoon, and thankyou for the invitation to join you alongside such an array of prestigious speakers!

As this is likely to be one of my last contributions as Chair of the S&T Committee prior to my leaving parliament I am delighted to have the opportunity to make a modest contribution to your conference today.

As someone who is neither a scientist nor a medic I cannot do other than admire the sheer brilliance of medical research in the UK and to passionately advocate for its future.

Claire Kelley and I have been fighting hard against the closure of Harrogate community stroke services; please join this group to show your support: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10150119519755705#!

I will tell the House of Commons how many people have signed up in support during my debate on Monday 15th March. Please invite all your friends - the more people sign up, the more impact we can make!

Speech at the Westminster Education Forum – 04/02/2010

‘Spend, spend, spend - the mismanagement of the Learning and Skills Council's capital programme in further education colleges’

The Building Colleges for the Future programme was a launched in a blaze of glory in 2008 as a flagship endeavour for the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (as it was then) and the Learning and Skills Council.

For FE this was the biggest investment EVER made in the sector.

Adjournment Debate - 03/02/2010 - Available to watch at: http://is.gd/7CAol

Allocation of places at Universities in England

Mr Deputy Speaker – I begin this short debate by putting on record my belief that we have a higher education system in the UK that is truly world class.

A system that over decades – since the Robbins Report in 1963 – has expanded from a small relatively elite one serving some 8% of young people to a mass, semi market driven system serving in England alone 42% of today’s school leavers.

Speech to The Liberal Democrat Christian Forum – 01/02/10

Faith, Science and Politics

May I first of all thank you for the honour of allowing me to give the Annual Gladstone Lecture this evening and trust that we can create a hearty discussion on what is without doubt a hugely topical area of discussion - Faith, Science and Politics .

I feel hopelessly inadequate in making this presentation, given the illustrious parliamentarians and others you have invited so hopefully you will forgive me if I raise more questions than I give answers.

An update on our Parliamentary Interns campaign: http://is.gd/5gLnC

It was an odd week to bring the curtain down on Act 2 of the ‘Great Expenses Saga” – the first Act of course being the revelations about the lax and incomprehensible system that had developed over the past 20 years.