Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times (a) Ministers and (b) officials from her Department have met representatives of (a) the University and College Union, (b) Universities UK and (c) the Universities and Colleges Employers Association to hold discussions on industrial action at universities since 25 October.

The department has regular meetings with representatives of trade unions that have members in the higher education sector, including the University and College Union, as well as with Universities UK and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.

Universities are autonomous and responsible for the pay and pension provision of their staff.  While the government plays no role in such disputes, we hope all parties can reach an agreement that delivers good value for students, staff, and the universities, so that industrial action can be avoided.

The department urges all sides to work together so that students do not suffer from lost learning, and we encourage any student worried about the impact of strikes on their education to raise this with their university.