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Written Question
Pupils and Students: Cost of Living
Monday 17th July 2023

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the potential merits of providing additional financial support for (a) school and (b) higher education students in the context of increases in the cost of living.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Last month, I met representatives from across the UK where we discussed this very topic. In England, we have put in place a significant amount of support to help students and families alike with the cost of living. This year alone, this government will spend around £37bn on cost of living support.

I take my role of giving children the very best start in life incredibly seriously. This Government spends more than £1 billion annually delivering free school meals to pupils in schools. More than one third of pupils in schools in England now receive a free meal. We have expanded the Holiday Activities and Food programme so that disadvantaged children in England will be offered free healthy meals and enriching activities over the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. This expansion was built on previous programmes, including last summer’s, which supported around 600,000 children across 152 local authorities.

I also recognise the cost-of-living pressures that have impacted students. That is why we have earmarked £276 million of student premium funding this year to support disadvantaged students who need additional help. We have continued to increase living costs support each year for English-domiciled students with a 2.3% increase to maximum loans and grants for living and other costs for this academic year, and a 2.8% increase for the 2023/24 academic year.

In addition, we have frozen maximum tuition fees for the current academic year and also for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years. We believe that a continued fee freeze achieves the best balance between ensuring the system remains sustainable, offering good value for the taxpayer, and reducing debt levels for students.

As well as keeping tuition fees flat, we have introduced and boosted degree apprenticeships, where, if people want to earn and learn, they can get their degrees paid for by their apprenticeship.


Written Question
Education
Monday 23rd November 2020

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the end of the transition period on (a) further and (b) higher education.

Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

We are working with both the higher and further education sectors on what steps they need to take as we come to the end of the Transition Period.

This includes questions around participation in EU-funded programmes and future migration arrangements for example.


Written Question
Graduates: Employment
Wednesday 1st July 2020

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to support graduates looking for employment (a) during and (b) after the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

Our economic priority is to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on our economy as far as possible. This is an incredibly difficult period for everyone, and we understand that graduates are likely to feel concerned as they enter a far tougher job market than those before them.

Some universities are going above and beyond to support those graduating this summer, providing extensive online careers advice, including webinars offering interview and CV-writing tips and skills and follow-up one-to-one calls. However, we need all universities to step up and play a key role to help graduates take the next step, whether into work or further study.

The recently announced National Tutoring Programme creates an opportunity for graduates to apply for tutoring roles providing support for pupils and schools in the most disadvantaged areas. More details of the programme will be available shortly.

We know that post-graduates often secure employment in higher skilled and higher paid employment than graduates and non-graduates. The government can support with the financial burden of accessing a master’s degree with a loan of up to £11,222. Where graduates are considering a career in teaching, tax-free postgraduate bursaries of up to £26,000 are available for trainee teachers starting initial teacher training in 2020/21, depending on the subject in which they train to teach.


Written Question
Overseas Students: Coronavirus
Wednesday 1st July 2020

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that overseas students can continue to study in the UK during the covid-19 outbreak in the 2020-21 academic year; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that funding for universities is maintained.

Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

The UK’s world-leading universities remain open to international students and we are working as a priority to make processes as flexible and easy as possible to allow students to study at UK institutions in the 2020-21 academic year.

On 22 June, with my counterparts in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, I wrote to prospective international students to outline the support and guidance that is available to students who are considering studying in the UK from the autumn. In the letter, I reiterate the temporary and targeted flexibilities that the government has announced for international students including, amongst other mitigations, confirmation that distance learning or blended learning will be permitted for the 2020/21 academic year provided that international students’ sponsors intend to transition to face-to-face learning as soon as circumstances allow.

We are also in discussions with Universities UK and other sector representatives on a regular basis to ensure that we are united in welcoming international students to the UK. We expect international students - particularly those who will be subject to the 14-day self-isolation period - to be appropriately supported upon arrival by their chosen university during these unprecedented times. International students who are considering studying at a UK higher education (HE) provider from September 2020 should contact their chosen university to find out how they are adapting to the COVID-19 outbreak.

On Monday 4 May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn and ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Full details of the package have been published on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students.

The government has also confirmed that HE providers in England are eligible to apply for its support packages, including business loan support schemes. The Office for Students (OfS), the regulator in England, estimates that these schemes could be worth at least £700 million to the sector.

We will only intervene further where we believe there is a case to do so and where we believe intervention is possible and appropriate and as a last resort. In such instances, we will work with providers to review their circumstances and assess the need for restructuring and any attached conditions. The department will be working with HM Treasury and other government departments, as well as with the devolved administrations, to develop this restructuring regime.


Written Question
Members: Coronavirus
Tuesday 2nd June 2020

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent estimate the Commission has made of how many hon Members (a) may be shielding (b) may be in the same household as someone who is shielding or who are in a high risk category and (c) have caring responsibilities for a member of their family who may be shielding in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Pete Wishart

Due to its sensitive personal nature, this information is not held by the House of Commons Commission. Guidance and support has been made available by the House service for Members in this position.


Written Question
Members: Coronavirus
Tuesday 2nd June 2020

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2020 to Question 46690 on Parliament: Coronavirus, what assessment the Commission has made of the situation of hon Members who (a) are subject to guidance from devolved Administrations on travel outside their immediate area and (b) may find it difficult or impossible to make suitable travel arrangements between their constituency and Westminster after the Whitsun recess.

Answered by Pete Wishart

The Commission has ensured the Travel Office remains available to all Members and has made specific arrangements to ensure that accommodation is available where required.

Members are encouraged to follow any guidance currently in force in the area in which they are currently located.


Written Question
Parliament: Coronavirus
Monday 18th May 2020

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans the Commission has to ensure that safe social distancing due to the covid-19 outbreak takes place on the Parliamentary Estate should the House return to a purely physical Parliament after the Whit recess.

Answered by Pete Wishart

The House Service is enforcing social distancing rules in and out of the Chamber. The updated government guidance sets out the steps employers must take to become ‘COVID-19 secure’ workplaces. For Parliament, this includes publishing risk assessments and outlining the measures in place to protect those working on the estate. Measures have been introduced to promote social distancing on the estate, including installing physical barriers and signage, and staggering shift and break times. The parliamentary authorities are continuing to work through the government advice to ensure a comprehensive set of measures are in place to enable a wider return to work on the estate after the Whitsun recess.

The House Service is currently working in conjunction with Public Health England to ensure we meet the government guidelines to become a ‘COVID-19 secure’ workplace, and to build on our existing measures to ensure all those working on the estate can do so safely. The Commission will be meeting to ensure that the appropriate level of services and safety measures are in place, should there be a return to physical-only proceedings after the Whitsun recess.


Written Question
School Leaving
Wednesday 7th March 2018

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of school leavers have participated in further and technical education in England in each year since 2010.

Answered by Anne Milton

The Department has two principal sources showing participation in education and other activities by young people as they transition between ages 16 and 19. Destination measures show the activities of young people in the year following their completion of Key Stage 4 (GCSEs) and Key Stage 5 (A levels and other Level 3). The 16-18 participation statistical first release (SFR) shows snapshot estimates of participation in different activities at each of academic ages 16, 17 and 18.

Destination measures show the percentage of students with sustained participation in education or employment over six months following the end of their phase of study. Information on pupil destinations is published annually on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-destinations.

The attached table A shows the proportion of students in sustained study at further education or other FE providers since 2010 following their completion of Level 3 16-18 study (state-funded mainstream schools and colleges in England). See table NA10 in the Key Stage 5 national tables document for full breakdowns.

The attached table B shows the proportion of students in sustained study at further education or other FE providers since 2010 following their completion of Key Stage 4 study (state-funded mainstream schools in England).

Estimates of national participation rates in England at academic ages 16, 17 and 18 are provided in the Department for Education SFR ‘Participation in education, training and employment: 2016’ published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/participation-in-education-training-and-employment-2016. These differ from the destination measures estimates provided above because they are not linked to previous study and provide estimates for the whole population, and they are based on a snapshot of activities at the end of the calendar year (rather than over a 6 month period).

The attached table C shows estimates of the proportion of young people participating in full time education at general FE, tertiary and specialist colleges at academic age 16 and 18, at the end of 2016.

Note that the SFR also provides estimates of participation by level and type of qualification.


Written Question
School Leaving
Wednesday 7th March 2018

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of school leavers have participated in higher education in England in each year since 2010.

Answered by Sam Gyimah

The department has two principal sources showing participation in education and other activities by young people as they transition between ages 16 and 19. Destination measures show the activities of young people in the year following their completion of key stage 4 (GCSEs) and key stage 5 (A-levels and other Level 3). The 16-18 Participation Statistical First Release (SFR) shows snapshot estimates of participation in different activities at each of academic ages 16, 17 and 18.

Destination measures show the percentage of students with sustained participation in education or employment over six months following the end of their phase of study. Information on pupil destinations is published annually on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-destinations.

The table in attachment one shows the proportion of students in sustained study at higher education institutions since 2010 following their completion of 16-18 study (state-funded mainstream schools and colleges in England). See table NA10 in the ‘Key stage 5 –national tables: SFR56/2017’ document for full breakdowns: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652777/SFR56_2017_KS5_National_Tables_1516.ods.

Estimates of national participation rates in England at academic ages 16, 17 and 18 are provided in the department’s SFR 'Participation in education, training and employment: 2016' published here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/participation-in-education-training-and-employment-2016. These differ from the destination measures estimates provided, because they are not linked to previous study and provide estimates for the whole population, and they are based on a snapshot of activities at the end of the calendar year (rather than over a six-month period).

The table in attachment two shows estimates of the proportion of young people participating in full-time education, by institution type, at academic age 16 and 18, at the end of 2016.