Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled Government invests in young people with more opportunities close to home, published on 28 July 2026, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the additional places on (a) additional participation in education and training and (b) moving existing learners between providers.

The department expects the investment to lead to over 22,000 additional learners each year and will support colleges and other further education providers to offer every young person a place to undertake post-16 study. The department does not expect significant movement of learners between providers as a result of the funding, as the criteria for funding made clear that projects which increased market share rather than met demographic need were ineligible for funding.