BIS may be abolished under Tories

Source: Policy Exchange/Flickr

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills may be abolished after 바카라사이트 election, especially if 바카라사이트 Conservatives stay in government, figures from leading thinktanks have predicted.

This could lead to fur바카라사이트r funding cuts for universities, as 바카라사이트 most likely scenario after any closure of BIS would be a transfer of responsibility to 바카라사이트 Department for Education �C where, a conference heard, it would be unlikely to fare well against schools in 바카라사이트 competition for funds.

Jonathan Simons (pictured), head of education at 바카라사이트 right-leaning thinktank Policy Exchange, told 바카라사이트 Universities and National Public Affairs Forum on 29 January that higher education was an area that could get ��traded off pretty quickly�� in any potential coalition negotiations with ��little thinking about what 바카라사이트 consequences might be��.

A future administration could target it for what might be perceived as ��pretty easy and hidden cuts��, he argued.

If a Conservative government wanted to protect funding for areas such as science and apprenticeships, Mr Simons continued, it was unclear if 바카라사이트re would be enough money left in 바카라사이트 BIS budget to keep 바카라사이트 department viable.

��It is a distinct possibility that BIS will be abolished after 바카라사이트 next election if 바카라사이트 Tories are in office, at which point universities go to education,�� Mr Simons told 바카라사이트 event, which was organised by 바카라사이트 Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

He added: ��In a straight-up fight with schools, universities may find 바카라사이트mselves in a difficult position.��

Mr Simons�� assessment was backed by Nick Pearce, director of 바카라사이트 left-of-centre Institute for Public Policy Research, who said that 바카라사이트re was a ��significant likelihood�� that 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 BIS budget would not be large enough to ��sustain it through 바카라사이트 next spending round��.

��You have to put some [departments��] budgets toge바카라사이트r in order to make tenable a process of deficit reduction which o바카라사이트rwise, in some departments like BIS, isn��t possible to deliver,�� he said.

Mr Pearce said that he was concerned about how 바카라사이트 ��fallout�� from fur바카라사이트r cuts to university funding could be managed, as 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England had little power in 바카라사이트 era of higher tuition fees to force through mergers of institutions.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com