Education

Chris Skidmore Excerpts

Tuesday 4th June 2019 Ministerial Corrections

The following are extracts from the debate on 15 May 2019 on the draft Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (Further Implementation etc.) Regulations 2019.

[Chris Skidmore]

The amendments have been made with the intention to reduce the administrative and regulatory burden on charities and ensure that the OfS has a sufficient regulatory relationship with the relevant exempt charities to be an effective principal regulator. The amendment to the Charities Act made the removal of exempt status automatic upon deregistration, so no action is actually required by the OfS. The OfS can deregister a provider only if certain conditions are met. That covers both conditions on registration, and consideration of the denial of an access and participation plan.

[Official Report, 15 May 2019, Vol. 660, c. 266.]

[Chris Skidmore]

Separately, regulations 28 and 32 amend the Education (Information About Children in Alternative Provision) (England) Regulations 2007 and the Education (Individual Pupil Information) (Prescribed Persons) (England) Regulations 2009. The provision requires institutions that are not schools in receipt of funding from the Department for Education to provide certain pupil information to the Secretary of State and other bodies, including HEFCE. The amendment will substitute OfS for HEFCE, as HEFCE no longer exists. That is the same for regulation 32.

[Official Report, 15 May 2019, Vol. 660, c. 267.]

Letter of correction from the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation:

Errors have been identified in my speech during the debate.

The correct information should have been:

[Chris Skidmore]

The amendments have been made with the intention to reduce the administrative and regulatory burden on charities and ensure that the OfS has a sufficient regulatory relationship with the relevant exempt charities to be an effective principal regulator. The amendment to the Charities Act made the removal of exempt status automatic upon deregistration, so no action is actually required by the OfS. The OfS can deregister a provider only if certain conditions are met, one of which is serious breach of conditions of registration.

[Chris Skidmore]

Separately, regulations 28 and 32 amend the Education (Information About Children in Alternative Provision) (England) Regulations 2007 and the Education (Individual Pupil Information) (Prescribed Persons) (England) Regulations 2009. The provision requires both schools and institutions that are not schools in receipt of funding from local authorities to provide certain pupil information to the Secretary of State and other bodies, including HEFCE. The amendment will substitute OfS for HEFCE, as HEFCE no longer exists. The substitution is the same for regulation 32.