JENNIE LEE AND THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

Early day motion 1859, tabled 2 November 2004 by Brian White (Labour). Signed by 127 members.

That this House notes the centenary of the birth of Jennie Lee, former Labour Minister for the Arts, on 3rd November, and is reminded that the pinnacle of her career was bringing into being the ground-breaking institution, The Open University; congratulates the Open University on marking this significant day with the official opening of a new university library, a state-of-the-art facility to serve a new generation of distance learners and to continue its pioneering work in widening participation in higher education; further congratulates the Open University on its achievements in enhancing the learning opportunities and the life chances of many hundreds of thousands of UK citizens and on its world-leading expertise in learning and teaching technologies; welcomes the Government's support for the unique role of the Open University in UK higher education; and hopes that decisions on funding now being considered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England will not inadvertently put the future of the Open University and Jennie Lee's remarkable legacy at risk.

Signatures by party: Labour 99, Liberal Democrat 12, Labour/Co-operative 11, Conservative 4, Scottish National Party 1.