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  Higher Education and Research Bill - United Kingdom Research and Innovation
  
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  @ MP voted aye to reorganise higher education regulation and research funding, simplifying the process for bodies to obtain university status and degree awarding powers. 
  @ MP voted no against reorganising higher education regulation and research funding, simplifying the process for bodies to obtain university status and degree awarding powers. 
  
  The majority of MPs voted to reorganise higher education regulation and research funding, simplifying the process for bodies to obtain university status and degree awarding powers. 
  
  MPs were considering the Higher Education and Research Bill[1][2]. 
  
  The motion supported by the majority of MPs taking part in this vote was:
  
  :That the Bill be now read a Third time.
  
  As a result of this vote the Bill continued on its path to becoming law. 
  
  The Bill:
  
  * Creates "United Kingdom Research and Innovation" (UKRI) as the UK's single public research and innovation funding body, under which the research councils (which become committees of UKRI) and Innovate UK will operate. 
  * Creates the Office for Students (OfS) as a regulator, with the power to given institutions university status and the power to award degrees. OfS is given a duty to promote quality, greater choice and opportunities for students,  competition between institutions and value for money.
  * Simplifies the process for bodies to achieve degree awarding powers and university status. At the time of the Bill, without OfS applications for university status and degree awarding powers were made to the Higher Education Funding Council, assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and determined by the Privy Council[3].
  * Enables the creation of a Teaching Excellence Framework.
  * Requires higher education providers to publish data on the backgrounds of their applicants to make their admissions processes clearer.
  * In light of religious objections to interest bearing loans, introduces alternative student finance arrangements which are not interest bearing loans but have the same payment and repayment levels.
  
  ==
  
  
  * [1] [http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/highereducationandresearch.html Parliament's webpage on the Higher Education and Research Bill]
  * [2] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2016-2017/0004/en/17004en01.htm Explanatory notes to the Higher Education and Research Bill]
  * [3] [http://www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/daput Degree awarding powers and university title webpage, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education]
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  