Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce alternative funding mechanisms for journalism training, in the context of the removal of Strategic Priorities Grant funding from 2025–26.
Answered by Janet Daby
I refer the hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of Strategic Priorities Grant funding from journalism courses on levels of access to journalism courses.
Answered by Janet Daby
I refer the hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has undertaken an equality impact assessment in relation to its decision to withdraw Strategic Priorities Grant funding from journalism courses.
Answered by Janet Daby
I refer the hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason her Department has withdrawn funding for journalism courses through the Strategic Priorities Grant from the 2025–26 academic year onwards.
Answered by Janet Daby
I refer the hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to introduce universal dyslexia screening within the first two years of primary school to help ensure (a) early identification and (b) support for dyslexic children.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
I refer the hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40829.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to make dyslexia training mandatory for (a) classroom educators and (b) on-going continued professional development.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
I refer the hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40829.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to help ensure that Ofsted assessments include a requirement for schools to provide SEND training for all teachers.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of outstanding student loan balances increasing despite repayments being made as a result of high interest charges; and whether her Department is taking steps to review student loan interest rates to ensure excessive financial burdens are not imposed on borrowers.
Answered by Janet Daby
As education is a devolved issue, the following response outlines the student finance system in England only.
Interest rates on student loans do not affect monthly repayments made by borrowers. Repayments are based on earnings above the applicable repayment threshold, not on amount borrowed or the rate of interest. As such, some borrowers will see their balance increasing at certain times despite making regular repayments to their student loan.
Student loans have very different terms and conditions to commercial loans. Unlike commercial unsecured personal loans, student loans are available to all eligible students regardless of their background or financial history. Student loans also carry significant protections for borrowers. For instance, monthly repayments are based only on earnings, and if a borrower’s income drops, so does the amount they repay. If income is below the relevant repayment threshold or a borrower is not earning, they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is written off after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower. The government is not aware of any commercial loans that offer such protections.