The government has ordered the formation of a task force to tackle violence against women, and ¡°lad culture¡±, on UK university campuses.

Jo Johnson, the universities minister, said that the group would ¡°make sure that the universities are doing all they can to meet their legal obligations¡± to protect women, and ¡°see where they can go further¡±.

Universities UK has been asked to convene the task force, which is expected to assemble in the autumn and work over a 12-month period.

The government¡¯s move comes amid growing concern about excessive drinking and lewd behaviour on campus, which have been linked to cases of sexual harassment and assault.

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The Hidden Marks survey, conducted by the National Union of Students, found that one in seven female respondents had experienced a serious physical or sexual assault during their time as a student. More than two-thirds had experienced harassment, including groping and unwanted sexual comments, and 12 per cent had been subjected to stalking.

Sajid Javid, the business secretary, said that ¡°nobody should be put off going to university because of fears about their safety¡±.

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¡°This task force will ensure that universities have a plan to stamp out violence against women and provide a safe environment for all their students,¡± he said. ¡°We do not tolerate this behaviour in any part of society and I¡¯m not prepared to let it take place on university campuses unchecked.¡±

In a letter to Nicola Dandridge, the chief executive of UUK, the task force is asked to develop a code of practice for institutions to support cultural change.

The group is also asked to explore how a kitemark scheme could be developed and awarded to successful institutions, and to ensure best use of existing complaints mechanisms, such as the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.

In published on 3 September, Ms Dandridge said that the higher education sector needed to have ¡°open and honest discussions¡± about what lad culture meant, and where the limits of free speech lie.

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But she said that universities were already ¡°taking a proactive role in working out solutions and tackling the issues, often working in partnership with each other¡±.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com