North West: Varsity blues

Liam Fogarty
Politics Show North West

We have heard an awful lot recently from our universities, telling us how they are "strapped for cash."

Their money problems lie behind the whole debate over tuition fees.

Some North West universities reckon they have found a way to save millions of pounds.

But, as a result, hundreds of students claim they are being put into unsuitable accommodation, and student rents are rocketing.

Lancaster University students on campus

Politics Show North West reports on how universities have entered deals with private contractors to build and maintain halls of residence.

Expensive accomodation?

Manchester Metropolitan University directs students to new, en-suite apartments built by the company, Opal.

Rooms cost an average £76 per week, without meals.

MMU students claim they can live in the university's own halls for as little as £47.50 a week, with meals included.

The construction firm Jarvis has an arrangement with Lancaster University to build and maintain thousands of new rooms.

For universities it's a way to replace outdated accommodation without incurring huge upfront building costs.

But the National Union of Students complains that rising rents now account for 83% of the weekly student loan budget.

The NUS also claims there've been construction problems leading to poor standards of accommodation at the start of term.

... Also Hutton On Hutton

Lord Hutton's enquiry and report sent shock waves through the BBC, and had Whitehall and Westminster on tenterhooks for months.

But how has the issue been received in the country at large?

The Politics Show sought the opinions of people in the Lancashire village of Hutton, just outside Preston.

Sixth formers at Hutton Grammar School had mixed views on Lord Hutton's findings.

Heather Lennon said;

If the BBC had apologised much earlier, things wouldn't have got out of hand.

Fellow pupil Edmund Talideh said that having had a senior judge pronounce on the evidence, people should accept the result.

The vicar of the local Anglican church said the report raised questions about the nature of truth itself. Reverend Andrew Parkinson said;

Present a piece of scripture to two Christians, and they may come up with widely different interpretations.

Have your say

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