Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of not allowing university students to return home for Christmas on preventing the transmission of covid-19.

The safety and wellbeing of staff and students in higher education is always our priority. The government is doing all it can to minimise the risks to those working and studying in our higher education institutions during this unprecedented situation, whilst mitigating the impact on education.

As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced to the House on Tuesday 29 September, the department is working with universities to make sure that all students are supported to return home safely and spend Christmas with their loved ones, if they choose to do so.

We are working through measures to mitigate transmission risks and we are planning to publish guidance on students returning home safely at Christmas shortly.