§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what requirements have been(a) placed on and (b) removed from universities in the last year for which information is available. [55083]
§ Margaret HodgeUniversities in England comply with statutory and Regulatory requirements approved by Parliament as well as conditions of grant set by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and requirements placed on them by a number of professional bodies.
During 2001–02 no additional statutory requirements were placed on higher education institutions by this Department. The Student Support Regulations for 2001–02 replaced those for 2000–01, but these have not appreciably changed the burden on institutions.
The Secretary of State's priorities for the higher education sector are disseminated annually through her grant letter to HEFCE each November. Some of these priorities, when implemented by the Funding Council, will result in requirements being placed on higher education institutions.
During this same period, consultations on a new method of quality review in institutions were undertaken and new arrangements will be in place from 2002. This represents a significant reduction in review activity carried out at institutions.