The Innovative Research Universities expect nothing much will happen in the higher education and research policy spaces until the election. Certainly, Industry, science and technology minister Karen Andrews, “will bring an active mind to the government’s focus on stimulating better take-up of research by business. However “the general expectation that Dan Tehan would focus at school funding questions has so far rung true.”

But there is one issue Mr Tehan has to address, postgraduate and sub-bachelor places per university for 2019. “It looks very unlikely that the plan for a new allocation system will take effect until 2020 at earliest, but universities need to know this to be confident in making offers,” IRU reminds the government.

The government’s position appears still to be that 2020 growth places will be allocated on the basis of “performance indicators and performance targets” “agreed” between government and universities this year and assessed next. So how’s the consultation going? Learned readers say as yet nowhere.  Not to worry, it’s only October.