The Industry and Regulators Committee launched an inquiry into the Office for Students (OfS) – the regulator of higher education in England.

The inquiry will consider whether the statutory duties of the OfS are clear and examine its performance against those duties since its establishment. It will look at how the OfS’ regulatory framework has developed since its inception, its independence from and relationship with the Government, and whether it has the necessary expertise and resources to carry out its functions. The inquiry will also examine the OfS’ work in relation to the financial sustainability of the higher education sector.

The Russell Group responded to the inquiry’s call for written evidence, highlighting a number of areas where OfS could take a more effective and efficient approach to regulating, including:

• Taking a truly risk-based, proportionate approach to regulation
• Committing to a more consistent and stable approach to regulation
• Addressing the issue of increasing data burden
• Re-establishing trust and improving communication with the sector.