Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support university employees.

The department is aware that some providers are making difficult decisions around staffing to safeguard their financial sustainability. Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions, and the government therefore cannot intervene in pay and workforce matters, unlike in other sectors. Nevertheless, we expect providers to work with their staff to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution.

The department remains committed to creating a secure future for our HE sector so it can continue to deliver for students, taxpayers, staff and the economy. Our decision to increase tuition fees annually in line with inflation, demonstrates this commitment.