TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION: English funding review on timing tightrope as loans reassessed

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Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at the University of Manchester and a former special adviser to John Denham in his time as Labour secretary of state with responsibility for universities, said that “clearly the ONS review and the spending review both complicate things for Augar” as well as the Department for Education.

“It’s certainly very difficult to make any concrete recommendations without knowing a) how the system, or any changes to it, will be treated in the national accounts, or b) whether the Treasury is likely to be sympathetic to new accounting treatments or to any requests for new resources,” he said.

Professor Westwood suggested that “some delay might be inevitable – at least until such time as the parameters are clearer”.

He added: “I do think they are likely to be looking at least at some fee reductions. All the political pressures are on the headline parts of the system – fee levels, interest rates and overall debt – so it would be odd if they didn’t.”