Skip to main content

14 March 2023 - The work of the Office for Students - Oral evidence

Committee Industry and Regulators Committee
Inquiry The work of the Office for Students

Tuesday 14 March 2023

Start times: 10:30am (private) 10:30am (public)


Add to calendar

Committee hears evidence from former ministers on the Office for Students  

The Industry and Regulators Committee will continue its inquiry into the work of the Office for Students, the regulator of higher education providers in England, by hearing from the Rt Hon Lord Johnson of Marylebone and the Rt Hon Charles Clarke, both former ministers at the Department for Education. The Committee will discuss how the Office for Students has carried out its role, how its regulatory framework has changed over time and the nature of its relationship with the Government, students and higher education providers.

The Committee will also consider the financial sustainability of the higher education sector. This will include discussing the business models of higher education providers, the financial risks that they face and how these risks are managed by the OfS and the Government.

Meeting details

At 10:30am: Oral evidence
Inquiry The work of the Office for Students
Former Minister of State at Universities, Science, Research and Innovation
Former Secretary of State at Department for Education and Skills

Possible questions include:

  • Are the Office for Students’ statutory duties clear and appropriate? Has it been given a clear job to do by Parliament?
  • To what extent is the OfS’ work determined by the Government? Is the guidance the Government issues the regulator too prescriptive?
  • How does the OfS evaluate whether higher education provides value for money? Is it possible to do so objectively or do these judgements reflect political and economic priorities?
  • How does the OfS oversee the financial sustainability of individual higher education providers and the higher education sector more broadly?

Location

Room 2, Palace of Westminster

How to attend