Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to refer the University of London’s proposed closure of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies to the Office of Students to ascertain the potential implications of such a closure for students engaged in, or seeking opportunities to engage in, further post-doctoral studies in black British history, decolonisation and the documentation of the transition from Empire to Commonwealth.

The Office for Students (OfS), as the regulator of higher education in England, works within its regulatory framework with individual higher education providers to consider the implication for students of any decision to cease the provision of higher education. It does so independently, without reliance on referrals from the Department for Education. We understand, however, that the OfS is aware of these reported proposals and will engage with the University of London to understand them in greater depth as part of its normal engagement process.