Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Government's report, Fixing the Foundations; creating a more prosperous nation, Cm 9098, published in July 2015, what assessment he has made of the effect on productivity of allowing education providers to offer degrees independently of universities.

Opening up the higher education sector to new high quality providers will encourage diversity and competition to help drive up the quality of teaching and, in turn, the contribution of graduates to the economy. Further details on these proposals are set out in my Department’s Green Paper “Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice” published on 6 November.