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Les Ebdon, who is stepping down as vice-chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire this summer, will appear before a House of Commons select committee on 2 February to be quizzed on his application for the vacancy.

If he is succesful, Professor Ebdon, who is chair of the Million+ group of post-1992 institutions, will replace Sir Martin Harris as Offa director.

The developments follow a delay in the hunt for a new director after the government extended the search in an apparent bid to find a suitable candidate from outside the sector.

Times Higher Education reported in December that, following interviews for the job, ministers were left with just one name ¨C understood to be David Allen, registrar and deputy chief executive of the University of Exeter ¨C and wanted a more varied pool.

Mr Allen is understood to have withdrawn his candidature before Christmas.

Professor Ebdon has been an outspoken critic of government policy during his time as Million+ chairman, frequently raising concerns about the impact of the tuition fee hike on students from poorer backgrounds.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com