Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money was spent on the recruitment process for the Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom.

The department received 16 applications for the role of Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom. Professor Arif Ahmed was appointed to the role on 1 June 2023, and will begin at the Office for Students (OfS) on 14 August.

The Director was appointed by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education in the same way that other board members of the OfS are appointed, under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. Officials at the department managed the recruitment process. The department has not conducted an assessment of the costs involved.

The Director role is a full-time executive position. It is a fixed term appointment, with the option of being extended up to a maximum of ten years. The role was advertised with a starting salary of £99,164, but this may be higher due to pay rises in some areas of the public sector in 2022. The Director’s working hours and starting salary will be agreed in his contract with the OfS. The Director will be eligible to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.