Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Office for Students on encouraging university applications from potential applicants with disabilities.

Widening access to higher education among under-represented or disadvantaged groups is a priority for this government.

In our first guidance to the Office for Students we have asked them to ensure that higher education providers include, within their access and participation plans, those students that have been identified as requiring the most support. This includes students with disabilities.

Higher education providers have clear responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support their students, including those with disabilities

Through access agreements - in future known as access and participation plans - higher education providers expect to spend more than £860 million in 2018/19 on measures to improve access and student success for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is a significant increase from £404 million in 2009.