Higher education providers are autonomous and responsible for the pay and pension provision of their staff.<\/p>
While the government has no direct role in the disputes, we have been clear that we want this disagreement resolved in a way that avoids further disrupting students\u2019 learning. We strongly encourage a resolution that delivers good value for students, staff, and providers.<\/p>
The Pensions Regulator is currently working with the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), Universities UK and a range of other stakeholders as they work to find a long-term solution to the funding challenges faced by the USS.<\/p>
The USS is a private pension scheme. It has more than 450,000 members, and sizable assets and liabilities. USS is one of the largest private pension schemes in the country, with assets worth over £80 billion in December 2020.<\/p>
The Office for Students (OfS) has wide-ranging powers to ensure students\u2019 interests are protected, and they expect providers to do all they can to avoid disruption to students. The OfS has written to universities to make their expectations clear: universities must abide by the conditions of registration and ensure they meet obligations under consumer protection law in relation to the impact of industrial action.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michelle Donelan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chippenham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michelle Donelan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-04-25T15:21:53.22Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-04-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Staff"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has held with the University and College Union about grievances of university staff relating to pensions, pay and working conditions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4591", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Olney"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond Park"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sarah Olney"} ], "uin" : "154262"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1421115", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1421115/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Higher education (HE) providers are independent and autonomous institutions. The government does not compel participation in equality charters.<\/p>
However, it is essential that HE providers address disparities in pay or opportunity, where they may be based on race, disability, gender, or other protected characteristics. We want HE providers to address inequality with confidence, using their own judgement to address the real issues which restrict opportunity.<\/p>
The department expects HE providers, like all employers, to comply with their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and give due consideration to the way their employment practices affect different people from different communities and at different stages of their careers.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4703", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Barran"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Barran"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-02-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-02-22T12:15:29.2Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-02-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Staff"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage universities to increase the numbers of black staff to reflect the diversity of students.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Warwick"} ], "uin" : "HL6102"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1246815", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1246815/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies makes an interesting contribution to understanding ethnic diversity in the academic discipline of economics. We welcome the findings which show ethnic diversity among academic economists and economics students is increasing over time. We also note that economics as a discipline faces similar issues to the higher education sector more widely.<\/p>
Universities are independent institutions and are responsible for their own decisions on employment issues. We expect universities, like all employers, to give due consideration to their obligations under the Equality Act (2010) and the way their employment practices affect different people at different stages of their careers.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4728", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-11-10T14:08:57.637Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-10-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universities: Staff"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies Ethnic diversity in UK economics, published on 26 October; and what discussions they have had with universities about the diversity of academic staff.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Warwick"} ], "uin" : "HL9681"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1220284", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1220284/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
During and after the COVID-19 outbreak, our aim is for higher education (HE) providers to continue to deliver HE provision and to support the needs of staff and students, both on-campus and off-campus.<\/p>