Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 10 October 2018 on Government Asset Sale, HCWS979, what the HM Treasury Green Book valuation is of the student loans to be sold in the second sale.

Disclosing the HM Treasury Green Book valuation of the student loans to be sold in the second sale of the pre-2012 English student loan book, would be commercially disadvantageous to the government, and would jeopardise the government’s ability to maximise proceeds in this sale and any future sales.

The government only sells assets where it is value for money to do so and where there is no policy reason to continue to own them. The government will proceed with the sale announced on 10 October 2018 – or any future sale from the pre-2012 loan book – only if market conditions remain favourable and if the final value for money assessment is positive.

Pursuant to Section 4 of the Sale of Student Loans Act (2008), the government will report to Parliament on the sale arrangements, and the extent to which they gave good value, within three months of the date of the transfer arrangements. A copy of that report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.