Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Office for Students (OfS) on the steps needed to mitigate the risks identified in the OfS Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22.

The department holds regular meetings with the Office for Students (OfS) where risks and mitigations, including financial risks, are discussed in depth.

In addition to these meetings, a director from the department attends each OfS board meeting, where the current and emerging risks affecting the OfS, and the mitigations for those, are also discussed.

It should also be noted that the department, as sponsor department of the OfS, takes the roles and duties set out in Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Sponsorship very seriously, including in relation to oversight of OfS resourcing, risk and performance.