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806383

registered interest
date	13/12/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Open University
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the future sustainability of the Open University.
tabling member printed	Lord Willis of Knaresborough
uin	HL4181
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2017 answer text <p>Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies. The government and the Higher Education Funding Council England (HEFCE) monitor the financial sustainability of the higher education sector. HEFCE monitors the financial sustainability of individual providers in receipt of public funding, including The Open University. However, a provider’s business model and financial plans are a matter for the governing body of that institution. The Office for Students will replace HEFCE and will have a duty to monitor and report on the financial sustainability of higher education providers that receive grant funding, or provide courses that are designated for student support, once the relevant provisions of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 are brought into force.</p><p> </p><p>The government is taking steps to help people who want to study part-time, enabling individuals to gain new skills and advance their careers, and supporting the wider economy. Part-time study and distance learning are clearly central to The Open University’s business model.</p><p> </p><p>We introduced tuition fee loans for eligible part-time students in 2012/13. We are working towards launching a new maintenance loan for part-time students studying, in attendance, on degree level courses in 2018/19. The government is considering extending this maintenance loan to eligible students studying distance learning courses part-time, more generally in 2019/20. This will be subject to the development of a robust control regime to manage the particular risks and challenges associated with this mode of study.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 20/12/2017 17:38:09 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	4151 label Biography information for Lord Willis of Knaresborough

801238

registered interest
date	05/12/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Commonwealth: Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the Commonwealth Secretariat and British Council joint programme Commonwealth Class.
tabling member printed	Lord Luce
uin	HL3895
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2017 answer text <p>The Department for Education was an advocate for the British Council’s bid for funding, tendered by the Commonwealth Summit Unit in Cabinet Office. This was to relaunch the Commonwealth Class network and website in the run-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018. The Commonwealth Class provides resources for teachers across the Commonwealth to use in their schools to increase young people’s understanding of, and engagement with, the Commonwealth. The relaunch also includes a Commonwealth Class Short Story Writing Competition for children and teachers. The department will also be supporting communications to promote the values of CHOGM to schools pupils in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 19/12/2017 16:01:36 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	908 label Biography information for Lord Luce

800471

registered interest
date	04/12/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academic Freedom: Counter-terrorism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take to ensure that free speech is maintained in university settings following guidance issued to universities by the Higher Education Funding Council for England under their Prevent counter-extremism strategy.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL3858
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2017 answer text <p>Universities and certain other higher education providers are required by the Education (No.2) Act 1986, to take reasonable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law for staff, students and visiting speakers. The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, specifically requires providers that are subject to the statutory freedom of speech duty, to have particular regard to that duty when carrying out their responsibilities under Prevent. The Higher Education Funding Council for England monitors the implementation of the Prevent duty in relevant higher education bodies and issues relevant guidance.</p><p> </p><p>The Higher Education and Research Act extends the freedom of speech duty to all higher education providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS). The current OfS consultation is seeking views on proposals around institutions’ freedom of speech responsibilities.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 18/12/2017 17:33:51 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

800478

registered interest
date	04/12/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Universities and Science on 30 June 2015 (HC3640), when they expect to publish the 2014–15 Student Income and Expenditure Survey; and why there has been a delay in publication.
tabling member printed	Baroness Wolf of Dulwich
uin	HL3865
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2017 answer text <p>The Student Income and Expenditure Survey is a very large dataset which must undergo significant quality checks prior to final reporting.</p><p> </p><p>It is expected that the report will be published when the process is concluded.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 18/12/2017 17:34:21 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	4347 label Biography information for Baroness Wolf of Dulwich

797251

registered interest
date	29/11/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	University of Bath: Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ministers and the Higher Education Funding Council for England plan to investigate the decision-making process at the University of Bath which led to an "exit package" being paid to the Vice-Chancellor; what was the total value of that package; and whether they consider this was consistent with the proper and efficient use of public funds.
tabling member printed	Lord Adonis
uin	HL3683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2017 answer text <p>The government expects the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to look into issues related to value for money with regard to English higher education institutions. HEFCE has investigated the governance process at the University of Bath which led to the Vice-Chancellor being awarded their most recent salary increase. On the 20 November 2017 it published a report, containing recommendations relating to that governance process. The university has agreed to respond to those recommendations by 15 December 2017.</p><p>Separately, the university’s governing body has agreed the retirement arrangements for the Vice-Chancellor. The university issued a press release on 28 November, confirming the details of the exit package.</p><p>We understand that HEFCE is currently considering whether it should investigate the governance processes concerned with the Vice-Chancellor’s retirement.</p><p>The government’s determination to ensure that students and the taxpayer receive value for money from the higher education sector underpin the reforms we are making through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. The Office for Students (OfS) will become the regulator for the sector in 2018. The OfS has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to promote value for money in the provision of higher education by English higher education providers.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 12/12/2017 12:13:40 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3743 label Biography information for Lord Adonis

795997

registered interest
date	28/11/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Office for Students: Business Interests
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the contract of the Chief Executive of the Office for Students forbids her from accepting remuneration for employment from a university in England after her term of office.
tabling member printed	Lord Adonis
uin	HL3648
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>The Office for Students currently exists in shadow form and will be legally constituted on 1 January 2018. In appointing the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) her current interests were disclosed and discussed in terms of how they affect her tenure as CEO. In making public appointments it is not usual practice to determine the future employment of public appointees.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 11/12/2017 13:09:32 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3743 label Biography information for Lord Adonis

795998

registered interest
date	28/11/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Office for Students: Business Interests
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the contract of the Chair of the Office for Students forbids him from accepting remuneration or employment from a university in England after his term of office.
tabling member printed	Lord Adonis
uin	HL3649
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>The Office for Students currently exists in shadow form and will be legally constituted on 1 January 2018. In appointing the Chair his current interests were disclosed and discussed in terms of how they affect his tenure as Chair. He attended a Pre-Appointment Hearing before the Education Select Committee who endorsed his appointment. In making public appointments it is not usual practice to determine the future employment of public appointees.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 11/12/2017 13:08:22 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3743 label Biography information for Lord Adonis

795999

registered interest
date	28/11/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Office for Students: Business Interests
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which members of the board of the Office for Students are (1) employed by, and (2) in receipt of remuneration from, a university in England; and what was the total amount of that remuneration in the 2016–17 tax year.
tabling member printed	Lord Adonis
uin	HL3650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2017 answer text <p>The Board for the Office for Students (OfS) currently exists in shadow form and will be legally constituted on 1 January 2018. The Board will be constituted with a mixture of executive and non-executive members that reflect the skills and experiences specified in Schedule 1 of the Higher Education and Research Act (2017). This includes a need for the Secretary of State to have explicit regard when appointing members for them to have experience of providing higher education on behalf of English higher education providers.</p><p> </p><p>In recognition of this, two of the members of the OfS shadow board are currently employed by a university in England. Professor Steve West, is employed and remunerated by the University of the West of England and David Palfreyman, is employed and remunerated by a college of the University of Oxford. Both are also currently members of the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) board and have been appointed onto the OfS Board to maintain continuity and manage a smooth transition to the new regulatory regime.</p><p> </p><p>As is common amongst regulators, including HEFCE, we will expect the OfS to operate an internal governance code, once established, that provides a clear declaration of the interests of members and ensures that individuals recuse themselves from any Board discussion where there is the potential for a conflict of interest. The declaration of interests of public appointees does not include the amount of remuneration from employment beyond the remuneration they receive from the public body of which they are members.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 12/12/2017 12:11:50 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3743 label Biography information for Lord Adonis

795189

registered interest
date	27/11/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Council for England as Accounting Officer has a duty to intervene in cases of serious abuse of funding on the part of universities.
tabling member printed	Lord Adonis
uin	HL3591
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>As Accounting Officer for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Chief Executive Officer has a duty to safeguard the public funds the council allocates. Through the Memorandum of Assurance and Accountability, which HEFCE has with all the institutions it funds, the council monitors universities’ management of public money. HEFCE has power, under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, to intervene in cases of mismanagement.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 11/12/2017 17:40:23 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3743 label Biography information for Lord Adonis

795190

registered interest
date	27/11/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of the duty of the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England to safeguard the efficient use of public funds, what assessment they have made of the value for money of salaries paid to vice-chancellors.
tabling member printed	Lord Adonis
uin	HL3592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>The government is determined to ensure that students and taxpayers can be confident that they get a good deal from higher education (HE).</p><p> </p><p>Over recent years, the government has become increasingly concerned about the level of remuneration for senior staff in the HE sector. It has asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England to look at this issue using its regulatory powers, which has resulted in updated guidance to the sector on senior pay and greater transparency in relation to vice-chancellor salaries.</p><p> </p><p>Holding universities to account for value for money has been a key objective of the HE reforms, enacted in the Higher Education and Research Act, and it continues to guide the government’s work as the Office for Students (OfS) is launched.</p><p> </p><p>The OfS has a statutory duty to promote value for money in the sector. The government will ask the OfS to use its powers to take action to protect value for money for students and taxpayers in the future.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 11/12/2017 17:07:02 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3743 label Biography information for Lord Adonis