Letter: A welcome for Mrs Shephard

Sir: Your headline 'Vice- Chancellors snub Shephard over speech' (14 September) and the accompanying story, which reports that university vice-chancellors have deliberately not invited the Secretary of State for Education to speak at their annual conference, are based on a misinterpretation of the facts.

Not only has the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of universities welcomed the appointment of Gillian Shephard, who, we hope, will bring a period of much needed stability to UK higher education, but we have already put forward to her suggestions for changes in funding in order to generate additional resources, and for simple and effective mechanisms to assure the public of the high quality of our work.

We look forward to informal discussions with Mrs Shephard when she attends our annual dinner. This will be followed by a more formal occasion, when we shall hear her views in a speech to the full committee.

Yours faithfully,

KENNETH EDWARDS

London, WC1

15 September