At-risk Academics: UK Support

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall am 4:00 pm ar 12 Medi 2023.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Julian Lewis Julian Lewis Chair, Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament 4:00, 12 Medi 2023

My hon. Friend tempts me to move into a wider area of controversy, but one thing that I would note, without crossing that line, is that very often the people in our university community in the United Kingdom who speak out most strongly in favour of freedom of speech and who insist that people should listen to views with which they might not necessarily agree, rather than shout them down, have often experienced repression in their own countries and come to the United Kingdom to escape that type of restriction.

I will leave that point there and resume what will be my final sentence by repeating the fact that building on the undoubted success of the Researchers at Risk scheme would ensure that we remain both a global leader in this admirable field and worthy of the efforts made by the eminent founders of Cara 90 years ago.