Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70499, on Public Bodies: Unpaid Work, whether the parental occupations of a (a) tool-maker and (b) factory owner are deemed to be eligible working class socio-economic background for applicants to the Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme.

As we set out in August, we will be opening our Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme exclusively for undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds for 2026. We will determine eligibility based on parental occupation at age 14 in line with guidance from the Social Mobility Commission and the Office for National Statistics definition.