Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to publish information on high quality higher education providers obtaining foundation or taught degree awarding powers on a probationary three year time-limited basis.

Joseph Johnson

The Higher Education and Research Bill provides for a power to authorise Degree Awarding Powers on a time-limited basis. We intend this to be the vehicle to implement the concept of probationary Degree Awarding Powers, which was set out in our White Paper ‘Success As A Knowledge Economy’.

Subject to the passage of the Bill, we plan to consult on the detail of the proposed changes to the Degree Awarding Powers, leading to new criteria and guidance. This would include the requirements and processes that will apply to providers seeking probationary taught or foundation Degree Awarding Powers. As now, we intend that details of all providers who have obtained Degree Awarding Powers will be publicly available. We envisage that this would indicate which providers have obtained those powers on a probationary basis.