Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Social Mobility Commission on their State of the Nation 2019 report.

The Chair of the Social Mobility Commission met with ministers and officials across government in preparing the State of the Nation 2019 report. Ahead of its publication, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Chair met to discuss the report.

My department welcomes the reports' thorough analysis, which shines a light on where government, businesses and employers can continue raising the bar for everyone living in this country. We will be taking the recommendations seriously.

We are supportive of the important work that the Social Mobility Commission carries out to promote social mobility across the United Kingdom, which is why my department asked it to launch a £2 million research and evidence fund to identify and spread best practice. The first phase of this is now underway.