Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to allocate funding to further education providers in England as a result of the increase in pension contributions under the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and the Local Government Pension Scheme from 1 April 2020.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
On 10 April, the department set out its plans to fund further education providers in England to compensate them for the increase in employer pension contributions under the Teachers’ Pension Scheme from September 2019 to July 2020. The details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-pension-scheme-employer-contribution-grant-further-education-providers.
This grant is being made in 2 payments: one in September 2019 and one in April 2020. Following the Spending Round announcement on 31 August, we have been able to confirm that we will continue to provide this funding for the rest of financial year 2020-21. The details of the allocation for 2020-21 and the amounts for the remainder of that financial year are still to be determined, based on the most recent data from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, and these will be announced in due course.
The department has no plans to provide additional funding specifically for contributions for the Local Government Pensions Scheme. However, the government has announced £400 million additional funding for 16-19 education in 2020-21, which is a 7% increase in funding for education providers for this age group, in addition to the funding for teachers’ pensions.
The Barnett Formula determines changes to the block grant funding allocated to the devolved administrations by the UK government. Under the Barnett Formula, the Welsh government receives a population-based proportion of changes in planned UK government spending on comparable services in England. The Barnett Formula therefore determines changes to each devolved administration’s funding with reference to changes in Departmental Expenditure Limit funding for the department.
The additional funding for the department in the August 2019 Spending Round will, therefore, be reflected in the normal way in the block grant for the Welsh government. The funding for further education pensions in 2020-21 will come partly from an addition to the department’s allocation and partly from re-prioritisation of resources within the baseline allocation for the department.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding will be allocated to the Welsh Government to compensate for the additional pension contributions in the further education sector that will be in effect from 1 April 2020.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
On 10 April, the department set out its plans to fund further education providers in England to compensate them for the increase in employer pension contributions under the Teachers’ Pension Scheme from September 2019 to July 2020. The details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-pension-scheme-employer-contribution-grant-further-education-providers.
This grant is being made in 2 payments: one in September 2019 and one in April 2020. Following the Spending Round announcement on 31 August, we have been able to confirm that we will continue to provide this funding for the rest of financial year 2020-21. The details of the allocation for 2020-21 and the amounts for the remainder of that financial year are still to be determined, based on the most recent data from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, and these will be announced in due course.
The department has no plans to provide additional funding specifically for contributions for the Local Government Pensions Scheme. However, the government has announced £400 million additional funding for 16-19 education in 2020-21, which is a 7% increase in funding for education providers for this age group, in addition to the funding for teachers’ pensions.
The Barnett Formula determines changes to the block grant funding allocated to the devolved administrations by the UK government. Under the Barnett Formula, the Welsh government receives a population-based proportion of changes in planned UK government spending on comparable services in England. The Barnett Formula therefore determines changes to each devolved administration’s funding with reference to changes in Departmental Expenditure Limit funding for the department.
The additional funding for the department in the August 2019 Spending Round will, therefore, be reflected in the normal way in the block grant for the Welsh government. The funding for further education pensions in 2020-21 will come partly from an addition to the department’s allocation and partly from re-prioritisation of resources within the baseline allocation for the department.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether additional funding to further education institutions in England to compensate for the increase in pension contribution under the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and the Local Government Pension Scheme from 1 April 2020 will lead to a Barnett consequential for Wales.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
On 10 April, the department set out its plans to fund further education providers in England to compensate them for the increase in employer pension contributions under the Teachers’ Pension Scheme from September 2019 to July 2020. The details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-pension-scheme-employer-contribution-grant-further-education-providers.
This grant is being made in 2 payments: one in September 2019 and one in April 2020. Following the Spending Round announcement on 31 August, we have been able to confirm that we will continue to provide this funding for the rest of financial year 2020-21. The details of the allocation for 2020-21 and the amounts for the remainder of that financial year are still to be determined, based on the most recent data from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, and these will be announced in due course.
The department has no plans to provide additional funding specifically for contributions for the Local Government Pensions Scheme. However, the government has announced £400 million additional funding for 16-19 education in 2020-21, which is a 7% increase in funding for education providers for this age group, in addition to the funding for teachers’ pensions.
The Barnett Formula determines changes to the block grant funding allocated to the devolved administrations by the UK government. Under the Barnett Formula, the Welsh government receives a population-based proportion of changes in planned UK government spending on comparable services in England. The Barnett Formula therefore determines changes to each devolved administration’s funding with reference to changes in Departmental Expenditure Limit funding for the department.
The additional funding for the department in the August 2019 Spending Round will, therefore, be reflected in the normal way in the block grant for the Welsh government. The funding for further education pensions in 2020-21 will come partly from an addition to the department’s allocation and partly from re-prioritisation of resources within the baseline allocation for the department.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the post-18 education sector in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland on the proposals set out in the post-18 education and funding review.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Higher and further education are devolved matters and as such the review is considering the English system only. We recognise the direct impact the review may have on Devolved Administrations and are engaging with the relevant devolved governments as appropriate. The Government will consider the independent panel’s recommendations carefully and will conclude the review at the Spending Review.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the effect of the Augar Review of Post-18 Education and Funding on the higher education sector in Wales.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The government’s Review of Post-18 education and funding is making good progress and the independent panel will report shortly, before the government concludes the overall review later this year. Higher and further education are devolved matters and as such the review is considering the English system only. However, we recognise that students make choices across borders, and changes to the post-18 education system funding in England may have a direct impact on the Devolved Administrations. We are therefore engaging with the relevant governments as appropriate.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of reducing tuition fees for English students on Welsh universities.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The government’s review of post-18 education and funding is making good progress and the independent panel will report shortly, before the government concludes the overall review later this year. As per the Terms of Reference, the review is looking at how we can best support education outcomes that deliver our Industrial Strategy ambitions, by contributing to a strong economy and delivering the skills our country needs. Higher and Further Education are devolved matters and as such the review is considering the English system only. However, we recognise the direct impact the review may have on Devolved Administrations and are engaging with the relevant governments as appropriate.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the frequency and scope were of his discussions with the Welsh Minister for Education and Skills in relation to the Prime Minister’s review of post-18 education.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The government’s Review of Post-18 education and funding is making good progress and the independent panel will report shortly, before the government concludes the overall review later this year. Higher and further education are devolved matters and as such the review is considering the English system only. However, we recognise that students make choices across borders, and changes to the post-18 education system funding in England may have a direct impact on the Devolved Administrations. We are therefore engaging with the relevant governments as appropriate.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of reducing tuition fees on the ability of universities in the Devolved Administrations to meet the objectives set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy and create prosperity in the UK’s nations and regions.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The government’s review of post-18 education and funding is making good progress and the independent panel will report shortly, before the government concludes the overall review later this year. As per the Terms of Reference, the review is looking at how we can best support education outcomes that deliver our Industrial Strategy ambitions, by contributing to a strong economy and delivering the skills our country needs. Higher and Further Education are devolved matters and as such the review is considering the English system only. However, we recognise the direct impact the review may have on Devolved Administrations and are engaging with the relevant governments as appropriate.