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1104666

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Degrees
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of first class degrees awarded by the (1) University of Surrey, and (2) University of Bradford; whether they have had any discussions with those universities about the number of such degrees awarded; and if so, what were the outcomes of any such discussions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Myners
	uin	HL14791
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 established a new independent regulator in England, the Office for Students (OfS). The act gives the OfS powers to assess the quality and standards applied to higher education by English providers.</p><p>The government has made it clear in guidance to the OfS that grade inflation must be tackled. In their strategy, attached, the OfS includes ensuring “qualifications hold their value over time” as a key objective. In December 2018, the OfS published analysis of changes in degree classifications between 2010-11 and 2016-17, which is attached. This includes data on the University of Surrey and the University of Bradford.</p><p>On 24 March, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education called for universities to end the steep rise of “unjustifiable” first class degrees which is a threat to the world class reputation of the university sector, and risks undermining the efforts of hard working students. The government expects the OfS, when it has its full range of powers, to challenge those institutions that record an unjustifiable rise in the proportion of top degrees being awarded.</p><p>The OfS’ statutory powers are on course to be strengthened through new regulations due to be laid in Parliament later this year, which will allow the OfS to levy fines of up to £500,000 or 2% of a university’s income (whichever is higher). The UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment is developing sector-recognised standards to ensure that all degree awards are consistent and fair - due to be completed this academic year. Together, these measures will strengthen the regulator’s ability to challenge universities with unwarranted grade inflation and hold them to account.</p><p>Any university found to be damaging students’ interests could be subject to sanctions such as placing additional conditions on their registration, fines, or in the worst case scenario removing a university’s powers to award degrees.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie attachment 1 file name HL14791_OfS_Strategy_2018_2021.pdf title HL14791_OfS_Strategy_2018_2021 2 file name HL14791_Analysis_of_Degree_Classifications.pdf title HL14791_Analysis_of_Degree_Classifications question first answered 05/04/2019 10:54:12 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

1105826

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Students: Loans
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether university income from student tuition fee loans is classed as public or private funds; what legal advice, if any, they have received to this effect; and whether they will publish any such advice.
	tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
	uin	HL14912
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The government pays universities directly in respect of the tuition fee loans which are approved for eligible students each year. Students are then legally obliged to repay any tuition fee loans in accordance with the contract they sign when taking out the loan. The Office for National Statistics classifies the money provided by the government to cover tuition fees as a debt for the purposes of the public finances. The government does not ordinarily disclose its legal advice as that is protected by legal professional privilege.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 05/04/2019 12:00:21 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1104650

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Erasmus+ Programme
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current position of the Erasmus+ scheme (1) in this year, and (2) in future years; and in what ways Brexit has affected that scheme.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL14775
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The government values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a global Britain. Irrespective of the outcome of Article 50 negotiations with the EU, the government wants UK and European countries to continue to give young people and students the chance to benefit from each other’s world leading universities post-exit.</p><p>Under the terms of the proposed Withdrawal Agreement, UK organisations and participants will continue to be able to take part in the Erasmus+ Programme this year and in the future up to the end of the current Multiannual Financial Framework.</p><p>While securing a negotiated deal remains the government’s top priority, we are committed to ensuring that organisations, students and participating staff are prepared in the event of a no deal EU exit. To provide more clarity, we published a new technical notice at the end of January, which provides detailed guidance to organisations and students on the UK’s anticipated participation in the current Erasmus+ programme (2014-20) in the event of no deal. The technical notice, attached, can be found at: <a href="https://bit.ly/2GaP28y" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2GaP28y</a>.</p><p>As is set out in this notice, the government’s underwrite guarantee will cover the payment of awards to UK organisations for all successful (those that are approved directly by the European Commission or by the National Agency and ratified by the European Commission) Erasmus+ bids. This includes projects and participants that are only informed of their success, or who sign a grant agreement, after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and commits to underwrite funding for the entire lifetime of the projects.</p><p>The UK is open to participating in the next Erasmus+ programme (2021-27). We have been considering the draft regulation for the successor scheme carefully and have been actively participating in discussions on this. Ultimately, participation in the successor programme is a matter for negotiations to come about our future relationship with the EU.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 05/04/2019 10:52:30 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie attachment 1 file name HL14775_Erasmus_+_Technical_Notice.doc title HL14775_Erasmus+_Technical_Notice
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

1105689

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Degrees
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many agriculture degrees in England offer modules on agroecology.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
	uin	HL14869
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 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> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 05/04/2019 10:40:18 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	1934 label Biography information for Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

1105691

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Science: Higher Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) entomology, (2) soil science, and (3) microbial science professors, there are at English universities.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
	uin	HL14870
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 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> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 05/04/2019 11:59:04 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	1934 label Biography information for Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer