UCU comment on new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The union said it thought the new department would be hard-pressed to give proper support to, and meet the needs of, further and higher education.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'UCU is very concerned that his merger seems to signal that further and higher education are no longer considered important enough to have a department of their own. The fact they have been lumped in with business appears to be a clear signal of how the government views colleges and universities and their main roles in this country.

'Education has the power to change people's lives and if we are serious about the important role it can play in helping us out of recession then we need experts in education at the helm, not business interests. We will be seeking an urgent meeting with, and assurances from, the minister that both further and higher education have clear and defined roles in the new department.'