Originally Published 02 May 2003

Following Education Minister Margaret Hodge’s recent commitment to deal with unnecessary bureaucratic burdens in higher education in England, the promised “Better Regulation Review Group” has formally announced its full membership and aims.

The Better Regulation Review Group represents a wide range of higher education sector stakeholders and is chaired by Professor David VandeLinde – the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick. The review group will work in partnership with Higher Education sector bodies and funders, not to devise or challenge policy, but to review policy for adherence to the principles of good regulation. It will report to the Higher Education Minister and to other stakeholders. The Group has already begun its work and is expected to make its first significant report on how it has progressed its aims in late autumn. The aims of the Group are:

• To work with the Information Management Task Force to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Better Regulation Task Force Report Higher Education: Easing the burden
• To appropriately identify and drive forward reform in reducing all other existing unnecessary bureaucracy in higher education;
• To devise a gatekeeper mechanism to prevent unnecessary burdens being introduced through new initiatives, including the implementation of the White Paper The Future of Higher Education;

The membership of the Group is as follows:

Professor David VandeLinde
Vice Chancellor,
University of Warwick (Chair)

Keith Bedell-Pearce
Chairman
Student Loans Company

Colin Biggs
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Roger Brown
Principal, Southampton Institute
Standing Conference of Principals

Tony Bruce
Policy Development Director
UniversitiesUK

Reg Chapman
Principal,
Blackpool and the Fylde College

Michael Day
Director of Quality and Funding
Teacher Training Agency

Steve Egan Director,
Finance and Corporate Resources
Higher Education Funding Council for England

Diana Green
Vice Chancellor,
Sheffield Hallam University

Maggie Pearson Deputy Director, Human Resources Department for Health

David Rhind Vice Chancellor, City University

Robin Sibson Chief Executive, Higher Education Statistics Agency

Jonathan Slater Director of Public Services Programmes, Office of Public Service Reform, Cabinet Office

David Wallace Vice Chancellor, University of Loughborough

Stuart Ward Director Resources Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Chris Weavers
Vice President (Education),
National Union of Students

Peter Williams
Chief Executive,
Quality Assurance Agency