Part 1

The Office for Students

Powers of Secretary of State to obtain information and advice

Use of application-to-acceptance information for research purposes
80
1
The Secretary of State may—
a
use information obtained under section 79 for use for qualifying research, and
b
provide information obtained under section 79 to an approved person for use for qualifying research.
2
The Secretary of State or an approved person may publish the product of research conducted using information obtained under section 79 so long as—
a
a purpose of the Secretary of State or the approved person in publishing it is to provide statistical information,
b
no individual to whom the information obtained under section 79 relates may be identified from the publication, and
c
the publication does not include information obtained under section 79 that may be regarded as commercially sensitive.
3
“Approved person” means—
a
a body approved by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this section that uses or disseminates information for the purpose of research (“an approved body”), or
b
an individual approved by the Secretary of State or an approved body for the purposes of this section (“an approved researcher”).
4
An approved body may provide information obtained under section 79 to an approved researcher, but an approved researcher may not provide that information to—
a
another approved researcher, or
b
another approved body.
5
The Secretary of State must publish guidance regarding factors that will be taken into account in deciding whether to approve a body or individual for the purposes of this section.
6
“Qualifying research” has the same meaning as in section 79.
S. 80 in force at 1.4.2018 by S.I. 2018/241, reg. 2(j)