Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Universities UK International and the Higher Education Policy Institute, The costs and benefits of international higher education students in the UK, published on 16 May, which suggested a total net benefit of £37.4 billion to the UK economy associated with international students during the years 2018–19 and 2021–22; and what plans they have to further support universities to recruit internationally.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government recognises the significant contribution that international students make to the UK higher education (HE) sector and to the UK economy as a whole.
Attracting the brightest students from around the world is good for our universities, delivers growth at home and supports the creation of more places for UK students.
As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, outlined in her speech at the Education World Forum on 8 May 2023, the department is hugely proud to have met its international student recruitment ambition two years running by attracting more than 600,000 international students. International mobility helps us build global relationships and makes an important contribution to UK science and research, supporting the cutting edge of global discoveries and emerging technologies.
The department wants to continue to attract students from around the world to benefit from British HE. That is why, on 23 May 2023, the department reaffirmed its commitment to the International Education Strategy, which is vital for ensuring that the UK remains competitive in the global HE market.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the causes of delays to payments to students on the Turing scheme; and what plans they have (1) to reduce the level of bureaucracy involved in applications, and (2) to mitigate the effect of these problems on poorer students.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Turing Scheme grant recipients are organisations that are, in the main, education providers. The department is aware that some organisations have experienced issues navigating the process for claiming Turing Scheme funds, including providing the correct evidence on projects, which has led to delays in payment being processed. The Turing Scheme delivery partner, Capita, has already taken steps to help organisations better understand the process. This includes video instructions, written guidance and one to one telephone support when requested.
Department officials are also working with Capita to review how it can improve the overall customer experience while obtaining assurance that Turing Scheme funds are being appropriately spent, within the grant terms.
Under the current payment process, it is the responsibility of grant recipients to request grant funds on time, in line with project plans and to disburse funding to participants. To ensure this does not negatively impact disadvantaged students, Capita have made payments outside of its regular payment cycle where requests have been submitted late or were initially rejected due to incomplete evidence, especially if this puts student placements at risk.
The Turing Scheme continues to place great emphasis on providing opportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their decision to terminate the BTEC qualification in Health and Social Care on the numbers of students applying for courses to qualify as nurses; and what percentage of students starting nursing courses in each of the last three years have achieved this qualification.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The department has been clear that it will continue to fund some BTEC courses and other qualifications in future where there is a clear need for skills and knowledge that A levels and T Levels cannot provide, and where they meet new quality standards. The government intends to fund small academic qualifications that should typically be taken alongside A levels in priority areas such as STEM subjects, and in areas where an A level is not available, such as health and social care. We will set out the full approval criteria in the autumn.
The department is reforming the system to ensure all qualifications approved for funding are high quality, have a clear purpose, and deliver great outcomes. T Levels have been developed with over 250 leading employers, have significantly longer teaching hours and include a meaningful nine-week industry placement that sets them apart from many current vocational qualifications. The Health T Level will help raise awareness amongst young people of the occupational choices within the healthcare sector and provide an opportunity for employers to strengthen their engagement with local schools and colleges. In addition, the Health T Level will provide a pipeline of young talent who may move into Trainee Nursing Associate and Assistant Health Practitioner roles, later progressing to the registered occupations.
As a department, we don’t hold the data on the percentage of students starting nursing courses in each of the last three years.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HGV drivers who have independently acquired a provisional HGV licence and passed the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence modules one and two are eligible to enrol on a recognised course to complete the training.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Skills Bootcamps in Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driving cover all parts of the training pathway to become a HGV driver. This includes the cost of an HGV medical exam, provisional HGV licence, a theory test, and the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence modules one and two if required. The department is aware that some learners have chosen to complete at least one of these elements of the training pathway themselves before applying for a place with a Skills Bootcamps supplier, for example by taking an HGV medical exam, applying for a provisional licence, or completing the theory test.
To ensure that individuals who have already completed some elements of the Skills Bootcamps in the HGV driving training pathway have the chance to secure a training place, we have informed suppliers they should consider applications from such individuals where places are available.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether international students arriving in the UK for the next academic year will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations from the NHS; if so, whether eligibility for such vaccines will depend on availability of vaccines in their home country; and what assessment they have made of proposals for universities using appropriately trained personnel to administer such vaccines.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
International students who live in the UK will be able to access the COVID-19 vaccine for free. Their eligibility for a COVID-19 vaccine here is not predicated on having had one abroad.
When students arrive in the UK, they should register with a local GP surgery as soon as possible. There may be a GP surgery attached to their university. People who are registered with a GP will be contacted by their surgery to book their vaccine via an online or telephone system when they are eligible. There is no need for students proactively to contact their GP about the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID vaccination sites are able to set up temporary vaccination clinics in a wide range of locations to ensure that patients can easily access the vaccine; this can include sites on university campuses.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a fund to which schools can apply to cover costs of visas required to recruit foreign language teaching assistants.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Due to shortage of time, it has not been possible to answer this question before the end of the Session. The Minister will write to the Member in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that policies on higher education and freedom of speech are based on (1) accurate research, and (2) evidence which reflects a balance of information.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
There is growing concern within the government that free speech and academic freedom on some university campuses is being affected by increasing intolerance of ideas which challenge conventional wisdom, leading to a chilling effect whereby not all students and staff may feel able to express themselves without fear of repercussions. There have been a number of studies, surveys, and reports highlighting instances where freedom of speech and academic freedom is being curtailed in the higher education sector – including from King’s College London, the University and College Union, Policy Exchange, and the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
Alongside this, there have been a small number of high-profile reported incidents in which staff or students have been threatened with negative consequences, including loss of privileges or dismissal, sometimes successfully, confirming that the fear of repercussion is not always unfounded.
Officials and Ministers continue to work with a wide range of groups and bodies across the higher education sector, including Universities UK and the National Union of Students, to ensure that our universities are places where free speech can thrive.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK no longer participating in Erasmus+ on the number of international students studying at UK universities.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
Throughout our negotiations with the EU, the government carefully considered the potential impacts of launching a new scheme compared to continuing to participate in the Erasmus+ scheme under the terms on offer. The design of the Turing scheme has been driven by our ambition for a truly global, UK-wide scheme, and we are confident that international students will continue to want to study in the UK’s world-leading educational institutions.
The UK is a world-leading destination for study and research, with 4 universities in the world’s top 10 and 18 in the top 100 – more than the whole of the EU in total. The UK is currently second only to the USA as a destination for international students in higher education, with approximately 486,000 overseas students.
It is clear that we have considerable appeal as a destination and partner in international mobilities and exchange schemes. We will harness this advantage to deliver an international education exchange programme which has a genuinely global reach, establishing new relationships with academic institutions not just across Europe but also the rest of the world.
More broadly, our updated International Education Strategy will respond to the challenges of COVID-19. It will set out how the government will support the whole of the UK’s education sector in the recovery of its international activity, pursuing our ambition to increase the value of our education exports to £35 billion per annum and to increase the number of international higher education students hosted in the UK to 600,000 per annum, both by 2030.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether schools are encouraged to develop individual clean air plans; and if so, how they incentivise the development of such plans.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Local authorities are responsible for air quality in their area and must ensure that it meets the standards set in local air quality action plans. Concerns regarding the air quality in school buildings fall to the body responsible for the school to check and establish what measures need to be taken to improve air quality.
In 2018, the department published Building Bulletin 101 (BB101), which contains guidance for school design on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality. This guidance sets out the World Health Organisation’s air quality guidelines and Air Quality Standards Regulation 2010 for indoor air quality. BB101 requires the indoor environment of new or refurbished school buildings to be monitored by recording temperature and levels of carbon dioxide.
The department is collaborating with other government departments and a number of academic institutions on air quality projects. The findings from these projects will, in due course, inform our guidance and standards for school buildings.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of the changes in position of UK universities since 2015 as measured by the QS World University Rankings; and what measures they intend to introduce to support universities to address any additional financial pressures as a result of (1) the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the end of the transition period of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. [T]
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The UK is a world-leading destination for study. According to the QS World Rankings, the UK has consistently had 4 higher education institutions in the top 10 since 2011/12. Four UK universities are currently in the world’s top 10 and 18 in the top 100, second only to the US (this data is taken from the QS World University Rankings 2021).
The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unparalleled impact on all elements of the global and UK economy and the higher education sector is no exception. We have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts of COVID-19 on student numbers in 2020-21 and we stand ready to support with various mitigations.
On 4 May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn and to ensure sustainability in higher education at a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Temporary student number controls will be put in place for domestic and EU students for the academic year 2020/21 to ensure a fair, structured distribution of students across providers. As part of this package, a new University Research Sustainability Taskforce will focus on the sustainability of research capabilities, capacity and activities undertaken in universities and study this in the context of wider higher education operational implications and issues arising from the response to COVID-19.
The government has also pulled forward an estimated £2.6 billion worth of forecast tuition fee payments to ease cashflow pressure this autumn. It has also committed to pulling forward quality-related research funding for higher education providers in England in the current academic year by £100 million.?The measures to stabilise admissions for this autumn also serve to reduce the risk to financial sustainability across the higher education sector.
This package of measures comes on top of the unprecedented package of support for businesses already announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme) and a range of business loan schemes, to help pay wages, keep staff employed and support businesses whose viability is threatened by the COVID-19 outbreak. We have confirmed that providers are eligible to apply for these government support packages, including business loan support schemes, which the Office for Students estimates could be worth at least £700 million to the sector.
To support international student recruitment, both the government and the higher education sector are committed to being as flexible as possible in accommodating applicants’ current circumstances, including if they are unable to travel to the UK in time for the start of the next academic year. We will also publish a review of the International Education Strategy this autumn, which will respond to the new context and the challenges that are posed by COVID-19 across all education settings.
In addition to our response to COVID-19, the government is working alongside stakeholders to support students and the UK higher education workforce to manage the transition period. This involves working to solidify existing global relationships and establish important new global relationships as well as promoting an open and welcoming message to all international – EU and non-EU – students to wish to come to the UK to study at our world-class education institutions.
Finally, the government remains committed to international exchanges in education, both with the EU and beyond. As part of its negotiations with the EU, the government remains open to considering participation in some elements of the next Erasmus+ programme, provided that the terms are in the UK’s interests. This will be subject to our ongoing negotiations with the EU. We will, in parallel with the negotiations, continue to develop a domestic alternative to Erasmus+, to ensure we are prepared for every eventuality.