Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill

In light of that intervention, it is probably inappropriate for me to speak now, but since I am on my feet, I would like to have a go. I join with the noble Lord, Lord Dholakia, in expressing the pleasure that the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton, is here to listen to us and perhaps understand what we are saying about higher education in view of her leadership on the Education Bill. It has been argued that this is the wrong place to be engaging in this debate—it should be taking place in the Chamber—but when I look up at the picture facing me I appeal to the Minister to sit watching it as a matter of conscience and not to have these people rushed away to doom without a proper appeals process. I wanted to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Warwick, not out of interest on behalf of higher education but on behalf of a broader United Kingdom interest. It is particularly relevant to mention international students because half out of the 150,000 appeals a year is an enormous number. These students do not do us a favour in coming here. They pay very well for the opportunity. Not only do they pay well, but they contribute immensely to the development of our research base. The noble Baroness said that one third of research students are international. In engineering, 50 per cent of the PhD students are from overseas. These are young people of the highest quality coming at the height of their intellectual development, ability and imaginative thinking to contribute to our intellectual capital. So we have a major national interest in economic terms—to which I will return in a moment—and in developing our intellectual capital to ensure that, as has been argued in this debate, we have an appeal system which facilitates them making their cases effectively and economically by an appeal in this country rather than having to go abroad and argue it from there, which is a disaster for them. In terms of trying to attract students from the world, to know that they face such a hazard—extensions, for particular reasons, are necessary in about half of all cases—is an own goal. I will mention more explicitly the national rather than universal interest. I am not making a political point—heaven forfend—but the last year that this country had a positive balance on trade and services happens to have been in 1997. In 1998, the deficit rose in round numbers to close on £10 billion. In 2000, it was £20 billion. In 2002, it was £30 billion. In 2004, still rising, it was £40 billion. We desperately need to foster ways of earning overseas currency. It behoves us to think very carefully about how we can foster the development of overseas students coming to this country.