Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help tackle gender imbalances in pre and post-16 academic and vocational pathways into engineering and technology careers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is compulsory for all pupils to study science at key stage 4 and, since the 2024/25 academic year, it has been compulsory for all pupils to study science at GCSE. Following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the government is ensuring science is made accessible to all pupils pre and post-16, giving them the best opportunity to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Technical Awards at key stage 4 allow pupils to engage with a sector and build foundational knowledge and practical skills relevant to engineering and technology pathways. We will review the current suite of Technical Awards from 2027, focusing on attainment and other relevant data, progression to post-16 pathways and overall purpose.
Post-16 technical and vocational pathways are being reformed to provide clearer choices for all students looking to pursue careers in engineering and technology, with the introduction of V Levels alongside existing T Levels in a range of subjects including Digital and Engineering and Manufacturing.
The National Centre for Computing Education delivers the ‘I Belong’ programme, which supports schools to address the barriers to girls’ participation in computing and increase uptake of computing qualifications.
From September 2025, the Advanced Maths Support Programme introduced a new programme to increase girls’ progression to A Level mathematics.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions Ministers and officials in her Department have had with FE colleges and universities on the profile and awareness of Higher Technical Qualifications.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has regular engagement with higher and further education providers and their representative bodies to discuss matters of mutual interest.
The department engages with these representative bodies as part of the development of policy to increase the flexibility of Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approvals, as set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper. This engagement has included, and will continue to include, discussion on raising the awareness and profile of HTQs. The list of available government approved HTQs can be found at: https://gov.uk/government/publications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there is a single, comprehensive list of available government-approved Higher Technical Qualifications for use by prospective learners and careers advisers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has regular engagement with higher and further education providers and their representative bodies to discuss matters of mutual interest.
The department engages with these representative bodies as part of the development of policy to increase the flexibility of Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approvals, as set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper. This engagement has included, and will continue to include, discussion on raising the awareness and profile of HTQs. The list of available government approved HTQs can be found at: https://gov.uk/government/publications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to support new Technical Excellence Colleges to work in collaboration with established Institutes of Technology; and whether measures are in place to support existing partnerships and clarity among employer partners.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) will draw on the experience and expertise of Institutes of Technology (IoTs), which have shown the benefits of collaborative working between employers, further education providers, and universities.
As system leaders, TECs have the autonomy and flexibility to shape and determine their partnerships locally and nationally, but the department has made it clear in our guidance that we expect TECs to work with IoT Partnerships. Many of the appointed TECs are part of existing IoTs.
All TECs will deliver via a hub and spoke model, working in collaboration with a network of providers to ensure that learners and employers across the country benefit. This way of working is critical to TEC success, which is why TECs are actively working together and with industry to ensure a cohesive system, supported by the department and other relevant governmental departments.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to announce Music and Dance Scheme funding for the 2026-27 academic year; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a lack of announcement on potential funding on schools' ability to plan for future cohorts.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government has committed to a continuation of the Music and Dance Scheme. Providers will be informed of future funding shortly.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of offering funding support for those universities affected by the costs of the Teachers Pension Scheme contributions, in line with support provided for further education colleges and schools.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises the financial challenges in the higher education (HE) sector both for providers and their staff.
HE providers are autonomous bodies, and the government does not fund the costs of changes to the scheme for them in the same way as for schools and colleges.
However, we remain committed to engaging with both employer and staff representatives to fully understand the impacts of pension provision in HE on both staff and providers.
Furthermore, we appreciate both the impact of the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate on providers and that defined benefit pensions are highly valued by staff across the sector. As set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the government is seeking to better understand concerns within the post-1992 HE sector regarding pension provision.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of Teachers’ Pension Scheme contribution rates on the ability of post-1992 higher education institutions to compete with pre-92 institutions for staff.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises the financial challenges in the higher education (HE) sector both for providers and their staff.
HE providers are autonomous bodies, and the government does not fund the costs of changes to the scheme for them in the same way as for schools and colleges.
However, we remain committed to engaging with both employer and staff representatives to fully understand the impacts of pension provision in HE on both staff and providers.
Furthermore, we appreciate both the impact of the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate on providers and that defined benefit pensions are highly valued by staff across the sector. As set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the government is seeking to better understand concerns within the post-1992 HE sector regarding pension provision.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 11 of her Department's consultation document entitled Assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance, published on 26 March 2026, what evidence supports the proposed policy position that assistive software is readily available to students; what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the accessibility and suitability of commonly available software for students with different disabilities; and if she will set out how it will be determined that a student’s disability-related needs cannot be met by assistive software before specialist provision is funded.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The anecdotal feedback referenced in the consultation document reflects issues raised through routine engagement activities, including meetings and discussions with delivery partners, sector bodies and other stakeholders. It would not be appropriate to identify individual contributors, and no quantified count of cases has been compiled. No assessment has yet been made of the extent to which students feel overwhelmed by the volume of recommended support because the department is currently gathering the evidence that would be required to support such an assessment.
The rationale underpinning the proposed policy position that assistive software is widely available is explained in the consultation document, which is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-team/assistive-software-funded-through-disabled-student/supporting_documents/assistive_software_funded_through_dsa_consultation_march_2026pdf.
It also sets out proposals relating to considerations around the accessibility and suitability of commonly available software for students with different disabilities. Decisions on how it would be determined that a student’s disability-related needs cannot be met by such software before specialist provision is funded would be made following the conclusion of the consultation process.
An initial equality impact assessment of the proposed changes is included in the consultation document, and the department intends to develop and refine this further as the consultation progresses.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's consultation document entitled Assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance, published on 26 March 2026, whether an Impact Assessment has been conducted on the potential impact of the proposed changes to Disabled Students’ Allowance support for assistive software.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The anecdotal feedback referenced in the consultation document reflects issues raised through routine engagement activities, including meetings and discussions with delivery partners, sector bodies and other stakeholders. It would not be appropriate to identify individual contributors, and no quantified count of cases has been compiled. No assessment has yet been made of the extent to which students feel overwhelmed by the volume of recommended support because the department is currently gathering the evidence that would be required to support such an assessment.
The rationale underpinning the proposed policy position that assistive software is widely available is explained in the consultation document, which is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-team/assistive-software-funded-through-disabled-student/supporting_documents/assistive_software_funded_through_dsa_consultation_march_2026pdf.
It also sets out proposals relating to considerations around the accessibility and suitability of commonly available software for students with different disabilities. Decisions on how it would be determined that a student’s disability-related needs cannot be met by such software before specialist provision is funded would be made following the conclusion of the consultation process.
An initial equality impact assessment of the proposed changes is included in the consultation document, and the department intends to develop and refine this further as the consultation progresses.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 11 of her Department's consultation document entitled Assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance, published on 26 March 2026, what evidence underpins the statement that anecdotal feedback has indicated students are being recommended excessive assistive software, including the stakeholders or sources that provided this anecdotal feedback and the number of cases that contributed to this assessment; and what assessment her Department has made of the extent to which students feel overwhelmed by the volume of recommended support.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The anecdotal feedback referenced in the consultation document reflects issues raised through routine engagement activities, including meetings and discussions with delivery partners, sector bodies and other stakeholders. It would not be appropriate to identify individual contributors, and no quantified count of cases has been compiled. No assessment has yet been made of the extent to which students feel overwhelmed by the volume of recommended support because the department is currently gathering the evidence that would be required to support such an assessment.
The rationale underpinning the proposed policy position that assistive software is widely available is explained in the consultation document, which is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-team/assistive-software-funded-through-disabled-student/supporting_documents/assistive_software_funded_through_dsa_consultation_march_2026pdf.
It also sets out proposals relating to considerations around the accessibility and suitability of commonly available software for students with different disabilities. Decisions on how it would be determined that a student’s disability-related needs cannot be met by such software before specialist provision is funded would be made following the conclusion of the consultation process.
An initial equality impact assessment of the proposed changes is included in the consultation document, and the department intends to develop and refine this further as the consultation progresses.