Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department consulted (a) universities (b) student bodies or (c) UCAS on the powers relating to personal confidential data awarded to the Office for Students under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (Cooperation and Information Sharing) Regulations 2018.

Information sharing was noted in the consultation, ‘Securing student success: risk-based regulation for teaching excellence, social mobility and informed choice in higher education’ (P133, published 19 October 2017).

Policy officials have worked closely with colleagues in the Office for Students (OfS) to determine what historical, and new, information sharing requirements may be required to ensure the OfS can do its job well, including protecting the interest of students and taxpayers. Officials and Ministers have regular meetings and interactions with universities and student bodies, and work closely with UCAS.

Section 63 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, which contains the powers under which the regulations are made, underwent parliamentary scrutiny as a Bill before it received Royal Assent.