Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what was the repayment forecast for Plan 2 student loan graduates in each of the last five years compared to actual repayments in each of those years.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The actual repayments for plan 2 are published in Figure 14 on this page:
The forecasts for Plan 2 are published here:
Forecasts are always likely to deviate from actuals due to uncertainty around many factors. Forecasts are based on the most up to date inputs available. Even looking only a year into the future, factors affecting repayments are likely to deviate from model inputs, especially in times of greater economic uncertainty. Over time, improvements to modelling methodology also affect accuracy of forecasts.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the activities of the National Education Union on community cohesion.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education plays a vital role in preparing our children and young people for life in a modern and diverse Britain. Accordingly, the department plays a key role in the government’s efforts to strengthen social cohesion, as outlined in the recently published social cohesion action plan ‘Protecting What Matters’.
As part of these actions to strengthen social cohesion, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has launched an independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges in England, led by Sir David Bell.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support further education colleges that have unresolved industrial disputes.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating terms and conditions and managing their industrial relations.
Based on engagement with the sector, we know colleges affected by recent strikes have generally implemented measures to ensure the impact on learners is minimised as far as possible. This has included rearranging classes, providing online learning where possible, and keeping libraries and learning centres open to allow the opportunity for independent study.
We encourage colleges to continue to adopt these and other appropriate mitigations where that is necessary. We encourage colleges and unions to remain engaged in open and constructive dialogue for the best interests of staff and students.
We all have a shared goal in ensuring our young people gain the best education during this critical transition period, advancing their opportunities and supporting economic growth.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the cost to the public purse of industrial disputes in further education colleges.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating terms and conditions and managing their industrial relations.
Based on engagement with the sector, we know colleges affected by recent strikes have generally implemented measures to ensure the impact on learners is minimised as far as possible. This has included rearranging classes, providing online learning where possible, and keeping libraries and learning centres open to allow the opportunity for independent study.
We encourage colleges to continue to adopt these and other appropriate mitigations where that is necessary. We encourage colleges and unions to remain engaged in open and constructive dialogue for the best interests of staff and students.
We all have a shared goal in ensuring our young people gain the best education during this critical transition period, advancing their opportunities and supporting economic growth.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the levels of the risk of insolvency among universities in England.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are aware that some higher education (HE) providers are making difficult decisions about course consolidation and closures. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances. It is therefore right that they focus on ensuring their courses are financially sustainable.
The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.
The government recognises that the sector's financial environment is challenging. This is why tuition fee caps were uplifted in line with forecast inflation for 2025/26, with further uplifts planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. We will then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. The department has also appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening its commitment to financial sustainability.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the number of course closures announced in higher education over the past year.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are aware that some higher education (HE) providers are making difficult decisions about course consolidation and closures. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances. It is therefore right that they focus on ensuring their courses are financially sustainable.
The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.
The government recognises that the sector's financial environment is challenging. This is why tuition fee caps were uplifted in line with forecast inflation for 2025/26, with further uplifts planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. We will then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. The department has also appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening its commitment to financial sustainability.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of (a) recruitment and (b) retention in further education colleges in (i) island and (ii) coastal communities.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is taking actions to strengthen the recruitment and retention in further education (FE) colleges across the country, including coastal and island communities, as outlined in the recent Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.
Across the spending review period we will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/2029. This will support colleges to recruit and retain excellent teachers. Delivery of this funding is weighted to account for levels of disadvantage.
Our national recruitment campaign promotes careers in FE, and retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax are offered for early career teachers, with higher payments for providers with a higher proportion of disadvantaged learners. Bursaries of up to £31,000 are available for teacher training. With reference to pay, FE colleges, rather than the government, are responsible for setting pay.
The department will continue to monitor workforce recruitment and retention trends through the FE Workforce Data Collection.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of pay disparities between mainland further education colleges and those in island communities on staff recruitment and retention.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is taking actions to strengthen the recruitment and retention in further education (FE) colleges across the country, including coastal and island communities, as outlined in the recent Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.
Across the spending review period we will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/2029. This will support colleges to recruit and retain excellent teachers. Delivery of this funding is weighted to account for levels of disadvantage.
Our national recruitment campaign promotes careers in FE, and retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax are offered for early career teachers, with higher payments for providers with a higher proportion of disadvantaged learners. Bursaries of up to £31,000 are available for teacher training. With reference to pay, FE colleges, rather than the government, are responsible for setting pay.
The department will continue to monitor workforce recruitment and retention trends through the FE Workforce Data Collection.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support young adults in Newbury constituency with financial difficulties as a result of freezes to the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments, and we are having to make hard choices to balance taxpayer and borrower interests to ensure that the student finance system remains sustainable.
Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. The repayment threshold will rise in April 2026, to £29,385 which is a higher rate than the average graduate salary three years after graduation. As repayments remain income-contingent if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. Even with the freeze, in year one the average borrower on a Plan 2 loan will repay around £8 more than had the freeze not been enforced.
Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of freezes to the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold on recent graduates.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments, and we are having to make hard choices to balance taxpayer and borrower interests to ensure that the student finance system remains sustainable.
Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. The repayment threshold will rise in April 2026, to £29,385 which is a higher rate than the average graduate salary three years after graduation. As repayments remain income-contingent if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. Even with the freeze, in year one the average borrower on a Plan 2 loan will repay around £8 more than had the freeze not been enforced.
Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.