I am in favour of new universities. We can expect them, like Stafford for example, to embrace their duties towards students with disabilities and to have reasonable standards of governance and fair complaints systems. My son's experience at an older university was that none of these things applied, despite their spending a lot of public money.

Jim, Corwen, UK

how SILLY!

wiltshire wurzel, swindon,

One minute you have an Oxford academic gloating that Japan's HE will 'implode' and that couldn't happen in the UK, while the next you reveal that your levels of access are hardly world class.

The problem with mass access and second and third tier institutions is that they will be set up to be epigones of Cambridge and Oxford.

Charles Jannuzi, Fukui City, Japan

So will we see a Universty of Staines with Ali G as its rector.? Or perhaps a University fo Slough with John Betchman in that role.

Chris, Ashford, Middlesex, UK

Apart from the University of Bristol, the University of the West of England, the University of Bath and Bath Spa University?

Laurence Lockton, Bath, Somerset

I'm not sure this policy has been thought out completely. Remember the number of 18-year-olds is declining. Some of the universities that have specialised in reaching students whose families have never been in higher education are in financial trouble due to the extra costs of teaching those students and low retention rates. The pattern I've seen is that those students are not interested in taking on loans and usually have alternatives to higher education they can switch to if they hit a rough patch in their courses.

Harry Erwin, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear

Why close important departments like chemistry in fine universities such as Exeter? instead of building more.

This government can't stop meddling with education. So far in 11 years it has got precisely nowhere.

Francis Henderson, Arundel, West Sussex

No new Universities in the whole of the Midlands then?!? That small part of England that Labour seems to neglect exists at all.

In this whole list the Midlands is the only region that does not have a new University proposed for it.

Why do people in the Midlands bother voting for this government at all?...Are Midland MP's actually doing anything?

If Labour keeps ignoring the Midlands like they do I hope they get NO seats in the Midlands at the next general election.

They are doing nothing for us here.

Francis, Birmingham, England

T.N. makes an excellent point...

Unis used to take the top 5%. NuLabour has used HE to keep unemployment figures down artificially (just like the move to raise school leaving age to 18).

HE education does not mean quality graduates. Exclusivity, based on ability does.

ws, Manchester,

Mr Denham may be worried about British universities losing their 'world dominance', but the only way to achieve this is to take away the statistics gathering policy of education which leads to students without any of the necessary skills needed for studying at the higher education level.

You can not make higher education better quality just by opening more institutions, in fact by making it more inclusive and less exclusive will further devalue the worlds perceptions of a British higher education qualification.

T.N. a Lecturer, Brighton, England

More Universities are a good idea in principle, but we need to look at what happens to more University educated people. If the subjects being studied are those that are desperately required by Employers then it will be good.
There are, however, a large number of people studying for, and who have degrees, where the supply far exceeds the demand by Employers. This leads to an expensive education for those unable to find jobs within the sector for which they have studied hard, disillusionment, and an increasing number who will only get employment at a fraction of the pay expected.
Courses should only be offered in proportion to the expected need for degree educated people within each area of expertise, allowing for students from abroad, who generate income for Universities.

Des Hawkins, Wiveliscombe, UK

Apart from the University of Bristol, the University of the West of England, the University of Bath and Bath Spa University.

Laurence Lockton, Bath, Somerset

10000/20 = 500

Not very big Unis then? Bit of a waste of money perhaps? No economy of scale?

ws, Manchester,

The fact that an institution calls itself a University does not mean that it provides higher education.
The proliferation of 'polyversities' has been the virus of the last 15 years. Whilst failing to meet the academic standards of true universities, they also fail to provide non-academic skills that are in demand. In many cases these were provided by the institutions that have been morphed into these new creations which now achieve nothing other than large debts for students who find the qualification gained is worthless in the job market.

Phil bailey, Shrewsbury, UK

Somerset stands out as a prime site - a major centre for advanced aerospace, a leader in environmental and rural issues - and no University!

Paull Robathan, Yeabridge, Somerset