All four elected representatives of the University of Lancashire Students' Union have signed a letter to our local MPs asking for their support in a debate tomorrow regarding statutory duty of care for universities.

The Full Letter Reads:

We are Students’ Union Representatives at the University of Lancashire Students’ Union,
representing the 25,000 students studying across Lancashire in Preston, Burnley and
Westlakes.

On Tuesday 13 January 2026 from 9:30am until 11:00am, there will be a Westminster Hall
debate on the potential merits of a statutory duty of care for universities, led by James Naish
MP. We urge you to attend and speak in favour of this proposal on behalf of students studying
at the University of Lancashire.

The University of Lancashire is a recognised widening participation institution, meaning a
significant proportion of its students come from backgrounds underrepresented in higher
education, which makes discussions around a statutory duty of care particularly relevant.
Students across the country are facing unprecedented pressures, including rising living costs,
increasing academic demands, and a well-documented mental health crisis within higher
education.

• The proportion of students who disclosed a mental health condition to their university
increased rapidly from under 1% in 2010/11 to 5.8% in 2022/23.
• In a 2022 survey by the leading mental health charity Student Minds, 57% of
respondents self-reported a mental health issue and 27% said they had a diagnosed
mental health condition.

• The Office for Students 2025 survey of 50,000 final year undergraduate students found
that 25% have experienced sexual harassment since starting university, with women
3x more likely to experience sexual harassment than men.

In 2025, the Russell Group Students’ Unions survey of over 1000 students surfaced a
worrying trend of students underreporting instances of sexual harassment.

• While universities provide important support services to their community of students, the
current framework places no clear legal obligation on institutions to proactively protect

Avery Greatorex, Molly Martin, Tin Chak Yee, Abigail Beavan
Students’ Union Representatives
University of Lancashire Students’ Union