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1083407

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The government already provides funding via the Office for Students to support subjects where the costs of teaching exceed the income that providers receive through tuition fees. This includes agricultural courses with elements of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Current rates of high-cost funding are included in the ‘Office for Students: Guide to funding 2018-19’, attached.</p><p>Future funding for higher education will be announced in the forthcoming Spending Review following the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, which is currently underway.</p><p> </p>
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

1083408

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Distance learning offers excellent possibilities to open up choice and opportunity to people from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those from rural areas, and the government believes it should be widely available at a range of educational levels. Student support for tuition at higher education (HE) level is available for students who want to study on a part-time basis or by distance learning.</p><p> </p><p>The National Retraining Scheme (NRS) is an ambitious, far-reaching programme to drive adult retraining. It will help individuals to respond to the changing labour market, redirect their careers and secure better, more secure jobs of the future.</p><p> </p><p>To inform the design of the scheme, the Flexible Learning Fund is supporting 31 pilot projects across England with a total value of £11.4 million. The projects are designing and testing innovative, flexible learning that is easy to access. The pilots are aimed at adults who are working, or who are returning to work, with either low or intermediate skills. A range of delivery methods are being tested; most of the projects will make use of on-line technologies to a degree, as well as ‘blended learning’ that combines online and face-to-face learning.</p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has previously announced that Educational Technology (Edtech) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be a key feature of the NRS. Technological innovation and development, including in AI, will play an important part in improving the learning experience, design and effectiveness of online training.</p><p> </p><p>The government has committed up to £30 million of funding. Working closely with the technology industry we will look to innovate, test and develop ways in which technological solutions can directly answer the specific needs of NRS users alongside all learners. Details of the funding will be announced in spring 2019.</p><p> </p><p>It is only right that HE providers offer a range of options which suit all students, and that students have a real choice about where and how to study. The Review of Post-18 Education and Funding will consider how we can encourage and support more learning that is flexible, like part-time and distance learning, and enable more people to study close to where they live. The review will report later this year.</p><p> </p><p>The regulatory system is also a means of opening up HE to a more diverse range of provision and therefore to a wider range of students. The Higher Education and Research Act, which came into law in 2017, placed a duty on the Office for Students to consider other modes of study when promoting choice and opportunity in the provision of HE.</p><p> </p><p>Through recent HE reforms, we are working to support and encourage high quality new and innovative provision that has a strong offer for students, helping providers to navigate the regulatory system and we will continue to work with new providers to tackle any barriers that might arise.</p>
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

1024226

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>​​Both the Department for Education (DfE) and Office for Students (OfS) were made aware of the decision to defer the planned speech by the Israeli Ambassador. The DfE’s Further Education/Higher Education coordinator has been in contact with the institution.</p><p>​Freedom of speech is a crucial element of higher education and government and OfS are committed to championing it and to promoting open debate and challenge. Universities are autonomous bodies and are responsible for taking their own decisions around how to manage events and mitigate risks; handling of individual cases is not dictated by government or by the OfS. The OfS has powers to intervene if providers are not following their own free speech codes of practice</p>
	tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

1024227

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The previous Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation held a free speech summit in May, where sector leaders agreed to collectively develop a single piece of guidance. The government has worked alongside sector leaders to set out key principles for universities and student unions managing free speech. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission will be publishing guidance in 2019 on how to ensure that freedom of speech within the law is upheld effectively in higher education institutions, whilst acknowledging their other legal duties.</p><p> </p>
	tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

1024228

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The government is deeply committed to protecting freedom of speech within the law. The freedom to express views openly, challenge ideas and engage in robust debate is crucial to the student experience and to democracy. Individuals should never be in a position where they can be stopped from expressing an opinion perfectly lawfully. Institutions are required to balance risks and legal obligations with a view to ensuring freedom of speech wherever reasonably practicable.</p><p>The Joint Committee on Human Rights held an inquiry into freedom of speech in universities earlier this year, which looked in detail and collected evidence in relation to upholding freedom of speech in universities. Drawing on information from the inquiry, which found the current regulatory landscape protecting freedom of speech to be extremely complex, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and key partners in the higher education sector have worked with the Department of Education to develop a single piece of guidance, which will set out key principles. This guidance will enable universities and student unions to understand their obligations for protecting and supporting free speech.</p>
	tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

1105689

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on UK higher education (HE).</p><p>Analysis of HESA’s ‘Student Record 2017/18’ shows that there were 2 HE institutions in England with one or more participants in agroecology[1] modules in the academic year 2017/18. These agroecology modules were all at postgraduate level at either Harper Adams University or Coventry University.</p><p>Module data for HE provided by further education colleges and alternative providers is not held centrally.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] Relevant module titles identified in the HESA Student Record were ‘Fundamentals of Agroecology’, ‘Agroecological Techniques and Practices’ and ‘Agroecological Production Systems’.</p>
	tabling member	1934 label Biography information for Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

1105691

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on staff at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Latest statistics refer to the academic year 2017/18.</p><p> </p><p>Each staff member can be recorded as teaching and/or researching up to 3 academic disciplines[1]. Counts of the number of academic staff and professors involved in the most closely related academic disciplines to those requested have been provided in the table:</p><p> </p><p><strong>Full-person-equivalent<strong>[2]</strong> academic staff by current academic discipline at English HEIs for </strong></p><p><strong>Academic Year 2017/18</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Academic discipline</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Professors</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>All academic staff</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>C340 Entomology</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>F770 Soil Science</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>C500 Microbiology</p></td><td><p>55</p></td><td><p>445</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>C510 Applied Microbiology</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>55</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: Department for Education analysis of the HESA Staff Record</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 in line with HESA’s rounding strategy.</p><p> </p><p>Staff can be recorded across more than one academic discipline, so rows in the table ought not to be summed together.</p><p> </p><p>‘Professor’ indicates a member of staff holding a contract which aligns with the Universities and Colleges Employers Association contract level 5A 'Professor'. This may undercount professors because many will fall into more senior levels, e.g. Heads of department.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] Academic disciplines are categorised using the Joint Academic Coding System: <a href="https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c17025/a/curaccdis" target="_blank">https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c17025/a/curaccdis</a>.</p><p> </p><p>[2] The definition for full-person-equivalent is available from the HESA website:</p><p><a href="https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c17025/fte_vs_fpe" target="_blank">https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c17025/fte_vs_fpe</a>.</p>
	tabling member	1934 label Biography information for Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

1087587

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The government values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a global Britain. We are open to participation in the successor Erasmus+ scheme (2021/27) though this will ultimately be subject to wider UK-EU negotiations on the future partnership. We are considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives. As part of this process, the Department for Education (DfE) is listening to stakeholder views. We have also noted and are considering the recommendations from the recent House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee on the future of Erasmus+.</p><p>Further to this, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, Science and Innovation meet with representatives of universities regularly to discuss the DfE agenda, and that has included the question of international exchanges following the UK’s exit from the EU.</p><p>As we progress our thinking and work on our plans for the possibility of participation in the successor Erasmus+ programme or a domestic alternative, we will continue to engage with and seek the views of sector stakeholders, among others.</p><p> </p>
	tabling member	2471 label Biography information for Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe

1061390

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Widening access and participation in higher and further education is a priority for this government. Everyone with the capability to succeed should have  the opportunity to benefit from a university education, regardless of their background or where they grew up. On 1 February 2019, we announced measures to tackle ethnic disparities in higher education. The announcement is attached and can also be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universities-must-do-more-to-tackle-ethnic-disparity" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universities-must-do-more-to-tackle-ethnic-disparity</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The new regulator for higher education, the Office for Students (OfS) has a statutory duty in regards to students who share particular characteristics, (protected under the Equality Act 2010), and where there is specific evidence that barriers exist that may prevent equality of opportunity, including those from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.</p><p> </p><p>Through Access and Participation Plans agreed with the OfS, higher education providers are expected to reduce the gaps in access, success and progression for under-represented groups amongst their students.</p><p> </p><p>Eligible 16 to 19 year olds do not pay tuition fees for post-16 further education (e.g. A Levels and approved technical qualifications). This enables young people to meet the requirement of continuing to participate in education or training beyond the age of 16.</p><p> </p><p>Eligibility to receive public funding for further education for adults (those aged 19 and above), is based on age, prior attainment and a learner’s circumstances. Skills provision is prioritised and focussed towards young adults, those with low skills and unemployed people who are actively seeking work.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the government also provides financial support to enable learners to participate in post-16 further education, whatever their financial situation. This includes contributions to costs such as transport, childcare, essential books, equipment and accommodation.</p>
	tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1042971

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Study needs assessors of Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) determine the specific support a student requires. They are currently not required to hold an Assessment Practising Certificate.</p><p> </p><p>We recently announced the decision to allow students with Specific Learning Difficulties, such as dyslexia, who are applying for DSA to use evidence of their diagnosis from before 16 years of age. Currently, for the purposes of DSA, the person carrying out this diagnostic assessment must hold an Assessment Practising Certificate, but we are considering whether to allow alternative accreditation routes.</p><p> </p>
	tabling member	3453 label Biography information for Lord Addington

1056429

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>It is the department, not the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, that decides which diagnostic assessments should be recognised as suitable evidence to determine eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The department is currently considering which accreditation requirements should be met for diagnostic assessments carried out on young people below the age of 16.</p><p>Information regarding the qualifications or professional memberships of those undertaking dyslexia assessments for young people below the age of 16 is not held centrally, nor is it held by the Student Loans Company.</p>
	tabling member	3453 label Biography information for Lord Addington

1056430

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>It is the department, not the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, that decides which diagnostic assessments should be recognised as suitable evidence to determine eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The department is currently considering which accreditation requirements should be met for diagnostic assessments carried out on young people below the age of 16.</p><p>Information regarding the qualifications or professional memberships of those undertaking dyslexia assessments for young people below the age of 16 is not held centrally, nor is it held by the Student Loans Company.</p>
	tabling member	3453 label Biography information for Lord Addington

1064572

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The department is yet to conclude discussions currently being held with relevant experts, including the British Dyslexia Association, about the qualifications that should be held by those undertaking specific learning difficulty diagnostic assessments that can be used to determine eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The experts with whom the department is discussing this issue have knowledge and understanding of diagnostic assessment undertaken for school pupils. The department expects to conclude these discussions by the middle of March 2019.</p>
	tabling member	3453 label Biography information for Lord Addington

1064573

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The department is yet to conclude discussions currently being held with relevant experts, including the British Dyslexia Association, about the qualifications that should be held by those undertaking specific learning difficulty diagnostic assessments that can be used to determine eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The experts with whom the department is discussing this issue have knowledge and understanding of diagnostic assessment undertaken for school pupils. The department expects to conclude these discussions by the middle of March 2019.</p>
	tabling member	3453 label Biography information for Lord Addington

1064574

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The department is yet to conclude discussions currently being held with relevant experts, including the British Dyslexia Association, about the qualifications that should be held by those undertaking specific learning difficulty diagnostic assessments that can be used to determine eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The experts with whom the department is discussing this issue have knowledge and understanding of diagnostic assessment undertaken for school pupils. The department expects to conclude these discussions by the middle of March 2019.</p>
	tabling member	3453 label Biography information for Lord Addington

1046297

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>​There is no place for extremism in our society and extremist views should be exposed and challenged.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education has not engaged with any institutions, including SOAS University of London, in relation to the Henry Jackson Society report.</p><p> </p><p>The government believes that free speech should been encouraged, provided that it is within the law as it encourages debate and understanding. Challenging extremist speakers and events is an important part of tackling extremist narratives. However, this does not mean closing down lawful speech, but rather ensuring the right steps are taken to counter extremist narratives and make sure that those who wish to spread hatred do not go unchallenged.</p><p> </p><p>The Prevent duty requires higher education institutions to ensure they have mitigated the risk of extremist speakers spreading harmful narratives before an event can go ahead.</p><p> </p><p>​The Equality and Human Rights Commission is developing new guidance on freedom of speech in higher education, which will be published shortly.</p>
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1059175

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Higher Education institutions are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for their own admissions decisions.</p><p> </p><p>Data on the number of applicants with offers for deferred entry who were no longer offered their intended course is not held centrally. Consequently, no assessment has been made of the cost implications to prospective students in this scenario.</p><p> </p><p>We are concerned by the steep rise in the number of unconditional offers being made to students. Where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered we have made clear to the Office for Students that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action. We expect universities to act responsibly when setting admissions criteria and expect admissions to be fair, accessible and transparent.</p>
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1064782

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Department for Education has not made any recommendations to the Office for Students (OfS) to reverse prior offers of places to students who already satisfied previously advertised admissions criteria.</p><p>We have made clear to the OfS that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action where an institution cannot justify their rising numbers of unconditional offers. However, we recognise that where a student already has relevant entry level qualifications, and for some creative arts subjects, unconditional offers may be justified. Admissions are a matter of institutional autonomy but we expect universities to make their admissions criteria fair, accessible and transparent.</p><p> </p>
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1077036

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>While higher education institutions have autonomy over admissions, the vast majority of undergraduate applications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are handled by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) on behalf of those institutions. As the shared admissions service, UCAS offers support to universities and colleges in this area through their services. It is also in institutions’ interests to keep accurate and transparent records of applications and admission. The Office for Students, as the independent regulator of higher education, also has a legal responsibility to ensure that registered institutions are acting in the best interests of students, including support in access to higher education.</p>
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1081642

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>There are no such regulations, and no recommendations have been made to the Office for Students (OfS) to that effect.</p><p>In relation to undergraduate admissions, once an offer has been made and accepted by a prospective student, a contract is formed between the higher education provider and the student. This is certainly the view of the Competition and Markets Authority, as set out on page 31 of its guidance to higher education providers on consumer law dated 12 March 2015, and it is already a condition of registration imposed by the OfS that registered providers must give due regard to relevant guidance on how to comply with consumer law. Given this, we do not see the need for any additional regulation to protect students against the potential withdrawal of an offer they have already accepted.</p>
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1049558

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Applicants to full-time undergraduate degrees apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS have published data on the number of unconditional offers and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional since 2010. The data covers offers made to 18 year olds from England, Northern Ireland and Wales.</p><p>The table shows the number of unconditional offers made and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional to 18 year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of unconditional offers</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of offers made that were unconditional</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>5,105</p></td><td><p>0.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>3,355</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2,605</p></td><td><p>0.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2,985</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>12,115</p></td><td><p>1.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>23,410</p></td><td><p>2.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>36,825</p></td><td><p>3.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>51,615</p></td><td><p>5.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>67,915</p></td><td><p>7.1%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Source: UCAS End of Cycle reports 2017 and 2018:</p><p><a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><ol><li>UCAS defines an unconditional offer as a provider decision to grant a place to an applicant that is not subject to the applicant satisfying academic and/or other criteria.A conditional unconditional offer is an offer made by a provider which was originally conditional, but becomes unconditional if the applicant selects that offer as their firm (first) choice. By definition, conditional unconditional offers that are selected as a firm choice by the applicant become unconditional and are also included in the unconditional offers group.Offer with an unconditional component are defined as an offers showing as having an element of unconditional offer-making, that is, unconditional offers plus conditional unconditional offers that have not been selected as firm (and hence remain conditional unconditional).</li><li>Figures provided in the table are based on the offer status at the 30 June application deadline.</li><li>Data on conditional unconditional offers, and offers that had an unconditional component have not been included in the table due to data not being published prior to 2013.</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information regarding which universities allocated places to applicants on an unconditional basis and for each of those universities, what percentage of total offers were unconditional in each of those years is not held centrally.</p><p>However, on 31 January UCAS published data on unconditional offers by each provider for the first time as part of their 2018 End of Cycle data releases. For each provider, UCAS have published data on the number and proportion of offers that were unconditional, conditional unconditional, and offers that had an unconditional component since 2013. Further information can be found at: <a href="https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports</a> – then select ‘Individual 2018 provider level unconditional offer-making CSVs’.</p><p> </p><p>The government are concerned by the increase in unconditional offers, and have asked the higher education (HE) regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), to monitor and review how they are being used by HE providers. Where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered we have made clear to the OfS that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action.</p>
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1049559

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Applicants to full-time undergraduate degrees apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS have published data on the number of unconditional offers and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional since 2010. The data covers offers made to 18 year olds from England, Northern Ireland and Wales.</p><p>The table shows the number of unconditional offers made and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional to 18 year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of unconditional offers</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of offers made that were unconditional</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>5,105</p></td><td><p>0.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>3,355</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2,605</p></td><td><p>0.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2,985</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>12,115</p></td><td><p>1.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>23,410</p></td><td><p>2.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>36,825</p></td><td><p>3.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>51,615</p></td><td><p>5.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>67,915</p></td><td><p>7.1%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Source: UCAS End of Cycle reports 2017 and 2018:</p><p><a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><ol><li>UCAS defines an unconditional offer as a provider decision to grant a place to an applicant that is not subject to the applicant satisfying academic and/or other criteria.A conditional unconditional offer is an offer made by a provider which was originally conditional, but becomes unconditional if the applicant selects that offer as their firm (first) choice. By definition, conditional unconditional offers that are selected as a firm choice by the applicant become unconditional and are also included in the unconditional offers group.Offer with an unconditional component are defined as an offers showing as having an element of unconditional offer-making, that is, unconditional offers plus conditional unconditional offers that have not been selected as firm (and hence remain conditional unconditional).</li><li>Figures provided in the table are based on the offer status at the 30 June application deadline.</li><li>Data on conditional unconditional offers, and offers that had an unconditional component have not been included in the table due to data not being published prior to 2013.</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information regarding which universities allocated places to applicants on an unconditional basis and for each of those universities, what percentage of total offers were unconditional in each of those years is not held centrally.</p><p>However, on 31 January UCAS published data on unconditional offers by each provider for the first time as part of their 2018 End of Cycle data releases. For each provider, UCAS have published data on the number and proportion of offers that were unconditional, conditional unconditional, and offers that had an unconditional component since 2013. Further information can be found at: <a href="https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports</a> – then select ‘Individual 2018 provider level unconditional offer-making CSVs’.</p><p> </p><p>The government are concerned by the increase in unconditional offers, and have asked the higher education (HE) regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), to monitor and review how they are being used by HE providers. Where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered we have made clear to the OfS that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action.</p>
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1037590

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Universities are autonomous from government, and consequently control the criteria used to determine admissions. We are aware that some universities, notably those that comprise the Russell Group, identify the A level subjects most likely to facilitate entry to university. However, many other higher education institutions are guided simply by UCAS calculations of tariff points, which give equal weighting to A levels, regardless of subject. The government recognises the importance of arts subjects, including music. Students’ ability to make informed choices is at the heart of our recent reforms to higher education. The department is increasing the information available to students to ensure they can make informed choices about what and where to study.</p>
	tabling member	4171 label Biography information for Lord Black of Brentwood

1078958

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>This government recognises the importance of arts subjects, including music. Universities are autonomous from government and consequently control the criteria used to determine admissions. We are aware that the Russell Group, which comprises 24 of the UK’s leading universities, publish guidance designed to assist applicants in identifying the A level subjects most likely to facilitate entry to one of their member universities. From engagement with the Russell Group, we understand they are currently reviewing their guidance.</p><p>The ability for students to make informed choices is at the heart of our recent reforms to higher education. We are increasing the information available to students to ensure they can make informed choices about what and where to study.</p>
	tabling member	4171 label Biography information for Lord Black of Brentwood

1052513

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The government and the Office for Students (OfS) are focused on addressing inequalities in higher education. Government consulted on the publication of data on senior staff remuneration, including in relation to gender and ethnicity. The OfS retains the power to require the disclosure of such information through its accounts direction.</p><p>Higher education institutions are independent and responsible for decisions about who they employ. Universities, like every employer, must ensure they meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010. On February 1, the government announced measures to tackle ethnic disparities in higher education including encouraging higher education providers to make use of tools such as the Race at Work Charter and the Race Equality Charter to drive forward a step-change in the recruitment and progression of ethnic minority employees.</p><p>The government has also consulted on ethnicity pay reporting in order to inform future government policy.</p>
	tabling member	147 label Biography information for Lord Boateng