Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the report on University Aspirations 2019 by the Sutton Trust on 15 August 2019.

Widening access and participation in higher education (HE) is a priority for this government. This means that everyone with the capability to succeed in HE should have the opportunity, regardless of their background or where they grew up.

Whilst we have made real progress, (the latest data for 2019 shows that the entry rate for 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds has continued to increase) more could and should be done. That is why the government asked the Office for Students to encourage providers, particularly the most selective institutions, to make further progress in ensuring that disadvantaged and underrepresented students can access, participate and succeed in HE.

The department will consider the implications of the Sutton Report on University Aspirations on access and participation policy in due course.