Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of whether the Office for Students has fulfilled its four primary regulatory objectives in response to the covid-19 pandemic.

We work closely with the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure that it is working with universities and that universities are delivering what students expect and require for their studies. We will always work closely with the OfS to deliver the very best for students and ensure that universities deliver on students’ behalf.

To support students, the OfS has funded mental health support, distributed hardship funding, monitored quality, issued guidance and set expectations for providers concerning support for self-isolating students throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

The performance of the OfS is closely monitored at all times by the department and its board, as set out in the framework agreement between the OfS and the Department for Education, and in line with the Cabinet Office code of good practice on arms-length bodies.