Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with universities on the effect of higher education funding on the sustainability of STEM courses in (a) Portsmouth and (b) the UK.

Part of the teaching grant funding that the government provides to eligible higher education providers, via the Office for Students, is allocated to support the provision of high-cost subjects, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

As part of the government’s consideration of the independent panel’s report to the review of Post-18 Education and Funding, Department for Education officials are holding discussions with a number of stakeholders, including universities. These conversations are likely to include higher education funding and the provision of high-priority courses, such as STEM.