To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what action is being taken to ensure that universities and other institutions of higher education have in place an internal complaints procedure available to (a) undergraduates and (b) postgraduates; [67205](2) if he will list those universities and other institutions of higher education which do not currently have in place a formal internal complaints procedure available to

In our response to the Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (the Dearing Committee) we accepted the Committee's recommendation that, over the two years up to July 1999, institutions should review and, if necessary, amend their arrangements for handling complaints from students. We have encouraged them to take the necessary action in the light of guidance issued by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals on an independent review of student appeals and complaints, published in April 1998. The Department does not currently keep records of whether or not an institution has a student complaints procedure but we shall be reviewing this summer the progress made in following up the Dearing Committee's recommendation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance is given by (a) the Quality Assurance Agency and (b) other bodies to universities and other institutions of higher education in relation to (i) the systems to be used in their internal complaints procedures and (ii) the ways in which complaints procedures should be publicised. [67206]

We are not aware of any guidance issued by the Quality Assurance Agency. The Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals published guidance on an independent review of student appeals and complaints on 23 April 1998. The guidance does not advocate uniform machinery for the higher education sector. Rather, it identifies six options for meeting the principle of independent review.