Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the employment support available to staff at universities in England.

Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions, therefore the government cannot intervene in pay, and workforce matters unlike in other sectors. However, we remain committed to creating a secure future for our HE sector so it can continue to deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. Our decision to increase tuition fees annually in line with inflation, demonstrates this commitment.

We expect providers to work with their staff to develop sustainable models that retain talent, expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution.