Written question asked by Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2026 (named day). It was answered by Josh MacAlister (Labour) on Thursday, 3 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Higher Education: Career Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of whether career progression outcomes differ for neurodivergent academics between highly selective universities and the wider higher education sector.

Answer

The English higher education (HE) sector is independent of government, and institutional autonomy is a defining principle of our world-class sector. This autonomy protects academic freedom and means that decisions regarding staff appointment and selection rightly sit with providers, not ministers.

Nevertheless, the government’s view is that a diverse workforce is essential to supporting innovation and creating the right conditions for debate and challenge. Moreover, young people from diverse communities should be inspired to see excellent role models in the academic sector.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) publishes data on staff within the sector. This data can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/staff.

The department continues to monitor published sector data, while recognising that responsibility for staff recruitment, support and career progression ultimately rests with HE providers.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 23613
Session: 2026-27
Registered interest declared: Yes
Grouped for answer: Yes
Subjects: Career development Higher education Neurodiversity
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Higher Education: Career Development

Secondary information

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