Clause 35 - Enforcement of plans: England
Higher Education Bill
10:45 am
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North, Labour)
I hate to leave anyone with the impression that I have it in for the vice-chancellors. The fact that their connections with No. 10 Downing street almost led my party to breaking point two or three weeks ago to satisfy their requirements should not be seen as causing me to have hard feelings. Therefore, despite what I said last week about them having to be subject to Ofsted like everyone else in the education system, I want to do Universities UK a favour by moving the following amendment. I hope that I will be back in its good books because there is a great deal for us to work together on.
Universities UK seeks to ensure that, while plans are meaningful and can be enforced, they do not expose institutions to additional litigation, which would waste valuable resources. Institutions must also rely on the judgments of the relevant authorities without fear that they may be undone by litigants challenging compliance with the plan. There is an enforcement regime laid out in the Bill, and the amendments promote the idea that that regime should be made exclusive. I would be grateful if the Minister could respond to the points raised by these probing amendments.