Recommendation 77

The perception that the OfS lacks independence from the Government has not been aided by its Chair continuing to take the whip of the governing party in the House of Lords, whilst simultaneously claiming the organisation, as a regulator, is independent of the Government. Although he was under no obligation to do so, it would nevertheless have helped to ease concerns if the Chair had resigned the whip and become non-affiliated for his time in post, as others in similar positions have done in the past.