27 January 2014
4.The Act makes provision to give effect to proposals to increase college freedoms, giving them greater control over their own governance and dissolution arrangements.
It does not change the principal powers of colleges to provide further, higher and (within some limits) secondary education. A key consideration informing the provisions is the decision by the ONS to reclassify FEIs as part of central government for the purpose of National Accounts.
5.The Welsh Government is also modernising the delivery of student finance by making it more efficient. The Act will contribute to this by establishing a legal basis for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to supply information to the Welsh Ministers (and others acting on behalf of or exercising functions for the Welsh Ministers) in connection with student loans and grants.
6.A White Paper setting out the Welsh Government’s policy was published on 2 July 2012 and a summary of the responses received to the White Paper was published in March 2013.