, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
I think the sector has been broadly supportive of the proposals. So, I mentioned at the very very start that we'd been inspired by what's happened elsewhere in the world, in particular for example New Zealand. They haven't, I think I'm right in saying…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, the current—. As I know that you know very well, the current arrangements for delivering on apprenticeships is clunky, if I can put it like that, and it's based on legislation that we know is outdated, really. So, the ambition in the Bill in relation to…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, I can give the committee the assurance that I'm content that all publicly funded tertiary education providers in Wales will be subject to oversight through the Bill. So, we have the register, which provides for higher education providers who want…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, I do think it's proportionate. I think, on the question of quality, you could imagine public interest circumstances in this space, it seems to me, in there being some external inspection of provision that may be beyond the regulatory remit of Estyn…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, as I say, some of it is about that, isn't it? We are building on the strength that Estyn delivers in that space now. And, as I was saying, it's an evolution from that. We've listened to what stakeholders have told us about that, but there's still…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
So, if I may, I'll just answer some of the specific points and then take a step back to look at how we got to this point, really. So, on the specific questions, there are detailed provisions in the Bill around the role of Estyn in particular. The need for…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, I think, perhaps with the term 'collaborating bodies', anything that seems like a consent requirement might look like a barrier, but actually, in substance, it extends collaboration in the following way: the commission will not have a direct regulatory…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, this is really, from my point of view, a very, very important part of the Bill, and I'm really pleased that the first strategic duty of the Bill, when you read it, is one that requires the commission to promote lifelong learning. I've spoken many times…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Yes, just to echo what I said earlier, this reflects the ways that exist within the broader system of funding providers in the sector generally. So, if you're a university, income from tuition fees is one of the main ways in which you are funded. So, we have…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
I might ask David Morris to help us on some of the detail of this, if I may, but the commission will have a recourse to a range of interventions to deal with situations where institutions are either failing to comply or have failed to comply with ongoing…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
I don't think that is the case. As with all these things, and I know as you know, there is a balance to be struck, isn't there, between being prescriptive and providing flexibility. So, I anticipate, in this space, that regulators probably would argue for…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
So, that's an important point. There are two answers to that question, really. One is that it's not principally a consolidation Bill; it's principally a reform Bill. That isn't the main answer, but just to say that. But the real issue, I think, in substantive…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Yes. Again, in a way, that's a different manifestation of the earlier point, which is, it's a single sector but with a diverse range of providers. And so—. I suppose I should start by saying both higher and further education institutions across the UK…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, I think it does. That is the intention, and I think the Bill delivers on that. I think there are two parts to your question—one is around the funding, and one is around the regulatory intervention, so I'll take each in turn, if I may. So, on the…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, if the committee has specific suggestions about how to strengthen this part of the Bill, I would have an interest in hearing that, because I certainly want to continue this discussion that we've started to have in order that we can maintain people's…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, I do agree that those powers are backstop powers. That's the first thing to say. You are right in that sense, certainly. We thought about this and we had a short conversation about this in the Chamber. We did think about the best way of tackling this…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, this is related to the same point, isn't it? The principle, the fundamental, baseline concept in this sense is that the Bill requires the commission to respond to the priorities of the Welsh Government from time to time in their strategic plan. So…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, on one level, those principles are ones that all legislation creating a new body has to tackle. So, this is a familiar context for what the Government does in establishing an arm's-length body. The starting point, I would suggest, is this: if we as a…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
I think that's one of the areas that we could probably put in the category of building on existing legislation, really, because those are powers that, in a HEFCW-specific way, already exist in the current legislation. So, the new commission, obviously, will…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Just in the way I was starting to touch on in my answer to your previous question, there's been work going on, if I can put it like this, in the background for a while in relation to this, including through workshops with stakeholders, and that is about…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, I think that that period—. If I understand the question properly, and please forgive me if I haven't, but I think that it's in the hands of the committee to set that period, because it's a committee consultation, not a Government consultation. So, I…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
On the question of the legislation, when we are able to share the legislative implementation plan with the committee, that will help, I think, in terms of the particular regulations and help describe at which points they're most likely to be useful and…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Morning.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
I may ask one of my officials to help with that question, if I may, Chair. Zenny, could I ask you to help us with that?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Yes. There's a range of regulation-making powers in the Bill. Some are subject to negative procedure, some are subject to affirmative procedure, and I guess they come in different categories, really, Chair. Some of them are in the Bill to enable the sector to…
