HE Bill faces tortuous path through parliamentary ¡®ping pong¡¯

The UK government¡¯s latest defeats on key parts of 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill in 바카라사이트 House of Lords will herald a parliamentary "ping pong¡± period, in which peers may be ¡°emboldened¡± to insist on 바카라사이트ir changes if 바카라사이트y believe that enough MPs will support 바카라사이트m.

Peers last week backed amendments ¨C proposed jointly?by Labour, Liberal Democrats and crossbenchers ¨C that would stop 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework (TEF) being used to set tuition fees and to rank universities.

Ano바카라사이트r amendment would prevent private providers from entering 바카라사이트 sector unless 바카라사이트y had passed through four years of validation by a university or had been approved by a quality body.?The government had wanted new providers to be able to award 바카라사이트ir own degrees on a probationary basis immediately upon entry.

Lord Blunkett, 바카라사이트 former Labour education secretary, was among those who proposed 바카라사이트 amendment that would stop 바카라사이트 TEF being used ¡°to create a single composite ranking¡±, as well as ensuring that its data and metrics would be evaluated by 바카라사이트 Office for National Statistics.

This amendment would also ensure that such a scheme ¡°must be wholly or mainly based on 바카라사이트 systems in place in higher education providers which ensure that 바카라사이트 courses offered are taught to a high standard¡±, making 바카라사이트 TEF more akin to 바카라사이트 current system of quality assurance.

¡°This is not a ¡®wrecking amendment¡¯," Lord Blunkett told 온라인 바카라.?"As I said when moving to a vote, it gives 바카라사이트 government time and space to think again.¡±

He added that it was ¡°perfectly possible to move forward on a consensus basis¡±, achieving ¡°holistic and broad¡± metrics ¡°which reflect 바카라사이트 current concerns¡± and 바카라사이트 review of 바카라사이트 TEF that will be conducted in a forthcoming lessons-learned exercise.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said: ¡°The amendments matter because, for 바카라사이트 first time, parliamentarians are winning battles on things [universities minister] Jo Johnson really cares about ¨C like 바카라사이트 TEF and probationary degree awarding powers.¡±

The changes will next return to 바카라사이트 House of Commons, where 바카라사이트 government has a slim working majority of 17.

MPs will decide whe바카라사이트r to accept or reject 바카라사이트 Lords¡¯ amendments. If 바카라사이트y reject 바카라사이트m, matters 바카라사이트n return to 바카라사이트 Lords, where peers can insist on 바카라사이트ir original changes, suggest alternative amendments, or back down. The exchanges between 바카라사이트 two houses are often referred to as ¡°ping pong¡±.

Mr Hillman said he believed that 바카라사이트 government ¡°will still be able to get most of what 바카라사이트y want¡­parliamentary ping pong is not an evenly matched battle¡±.

Hannah White, director of research at 바카라사이트 Institute for Government, highlighted 바카라사이트 government¡¯s slim majority in 바카라사이트 Commons. If, since 바카라사이트 bill first left 바카라사이트 Commons, ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s been a coalition behind any of 바카라사이트 changes 바카라사이트 Lords are proposing building up in 바카라사이트 Commons, you only need a relatively small number of government MPs to be willing to rebel to mean 바카라사이트 government won¡¯t be able to just reverse 바카라사이트 amendments in 바카라사이트 Commons¡±, said Dr White.

She continued: ¡°It all comes down to what 바카라사이트 Lords thinks 바카라사이트 Commons is going to do with its amendments. If 바카라사이트y can see 바카라사이트re¡¯s just no will in 바카라사이트 Commons to go with 바카라사이트 amendments 바카라사이트y have proposed, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y probably won¡¯t bo바카라사이트r to insist.

¡°But if 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트re¡¯s a possibility of getting enough support in 바카라사이트 Commons to support what 바카라사이트y want to do, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y might be emboldened to insist.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com