Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing student number controls to address competition in the sector.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will set out a plan for reform of the higher education sector in the summer. These reforms will ensure our world-leading sector can provide the skills required to deliver economic growth through the industrial strategy and support the wider changes the country needs in the years to come.

As part of this plan, the department will focus on providers’ efficiency and effectiveness, increasing collaboration with other skills providers, strengthening the civic role of providers and ensuring the right improvement and stronger alignment of provision with the needs of students and the economy.