Written question asked by Brian Iddon (Labour) on Thursday, 14 January 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 January 2010. It was answered by David Lammy (Labour) on Wednesday, 20 January 2010 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Higher Education: Research

Question: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with the Higher Education Funding Council for England on (a) the Research Excellence Framework and (b) other proposed changes to arrangements for research funding.

Answer: There is regular contact between officials in the Department and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).My Noble Friend the Secretary of State wrote to Tim Melville-Ross, chairman of HEFCE, on 22 December. He asked HEFCE to continue to develop proposals for the Research Excellence Framework, following the consultation which ended on 16 December and for their views on how along side our commitment to supporting research excellence, to achieve the presumption made clear in Higher Ambitions in favour of more, rather than less, research concentration, especially in the high cost, scientific disciplines.

Secondary information