Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings the Minister of State for Universities and Science has held with (1) the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and (2) the Office for Students to discuss issues relating to (a) Vice-Chancellors’ pay, and (b) the governance of universities in England; and what was the outcome of those meetings.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation meets monthly with colleagues from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Since the Minister’s speech to the higher education sector in July, the topic of vice-chancellors’ pay and governance is regularly discussed in the context of general discussions and when the minister updates HEFCE on progress with policy development on this topic.

The minister meets fortnightly with colleagues from the Office for Students (OfS). These meetings have included discussion of the consultation on the OfS’s proposed new regulatory framework. This framework will set out how the OfS will regulate providers in future, namely in a risk-based and proportionate way, aimed at bringing stability for the sector, and delivering value-for-money for students and taxpayers. It also describes the proposed conditions which providers must meet in order to register with the OfS, which include conditions around accountability and transparency around senior staff pay.