Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on social mobility of priority given for student placements to Russell Group universities.

Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from government and responsible for their own admissions decisions.

The department knows that higher education (HE) is a vital engine of economic growth and opportunity and we are committed to helping every learner to achieve and thrive within it, including at high tariff providers.

All English HE providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an OfS Access and Participation Plan (APP), outlining how it will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups.

We are introducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants of up to £1,000 per year from the 2028/29 academic year, providing vital extra support for students from low-income households without increasing their debt.

We have also asked Professor Kathryn Mitchell to lead an Access and Participation Task and Finish Group to consider how to tackle systemic barriers across the journey into HE for disadvantaged students. The Group will publish its final report in January 2027.