Written questions by Onwurah.

What support her Department provides to school trusts to safeguard against cyber attacks and to protect children's personal data.

The department provides guidance to help schools build their cyber resilience in our Cyber Security Standards, which address the core principles of cyber governance, processes and strategy.We have also introduced a free interactive assessment tool, Plan Your Technology, to help schools understand if they meet our Cyber Security Standards and support schools to achieve them. We have incorporated the cyber security standards into Keeping Children Safe in Education and the Academy Trust Handbook. The department also has a small, dedicated sector cyber security team to support schools. This team provides appropriate advice and guidance via regular targeted and broad communications and more specific incident signposting when required.The department’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) added cover for cyber incidents from 2022. With over 60% of schools RPA members, in the event of a cyber incident they have access to a 24/7 Incident Response Service.We also work closely with the National Cyber Crime Security Centre (NCSC), who offer cyber security tools and guidance for schools, including free Protective Domain Name Service.

What assessment she has made of the contribution of science and discovery centres to (a) UK STEM education, skills and career pathways, (b) inclusion and (c) public understanding of science.

The department has no formal relationship with science and discovery centres and has therefore not made an assessment of their impact on education. We know many schools work with partners to enrich and supplement students’ core curriculum.

What steps her Department is taking to support universities in (a) meeting student recruitment and (b) space targets in the context of current immigration policies.

The government has been clear that we welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Higher education (HE) providers in the UK hosted 732,285 international students in the 2023/24 academic year, who come from all over the world and benefit UK HE and our society as a whole, boosting our economy by more than £21 billion a year.The government is currently reviewing the UK’s International Education Strategy to ensure that it aligns with wider government policy and provides clear direction to the sector, including on international student recruitment.Further, the department and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are working to ensure that the UK space sector can access the skills and talent needed to grow whilst ensuring long-term investment and growth of the domestic talent pool, in line with the Immigration White Paper and the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan.This may include collaborative working on the 2025/26 Space Sector Skills Survey, or closer engagement in key sector-facing and ministerial forums on space, all of which will be key to advising the government on how to achieve the right balance of international talent and domestic opportunity.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Government’s free breakfast club early adopter programme on children’s (a) welfare and (b) educational outcomes.

The government is committed to delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged children.Breakfast clubs offer much more than just food, serving as a welcoming space for children, providing valuable opportunities for them to play, learn, and socialise at the beginning of the school day. This will set them up to be ready to learn and supports working parents, boosting household incomes.Schools running breakfast clubs report improvements in behaviour, attendance, concentration and attainment, and a universal breakfast club offer has been found to be a less stigmatising way to reach those who need it the most.We are working closely with our early adopter schools during the test and learn phase to understand how schools are delivering the new free clubs, pupil take-up and impact. We will publish findings from the test and learn phase in due course.

What steps she is taking to ensure that (a) training and (b) education pathways align with the skills required in the (i) artificial intelligence, (ii) fintech, (iii) medtech and (iv) green industry.

Through our Industrial Strategy, published in June 2025, this government will ensure the skills system and employment support align with strategic economic priorities, including the needs of priority growth sectors such as digital and technologies, clean energy, financial services and health, and for emerging technologies and transformative opportunities such as artificial intelligence (AI). For example, new short courses in areas such as digital, AI, and engineering will be introduced in England from April 2026, funded through the growth and skills levy. Skills England has been established to identify skills gaps across the economy, including in these priority growth sectors, and use these insights to improve and simplify skills provision so that people and business can best benefit from training. Skills England will work across government to ensure young people starting out in their careers, as well as adults who need to reskill, have clear education and training pathways.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of apprenticeships as pathways into (a) research and (b) innovation careers.

There are a number of apprenticeships to support careers in research and innovation, including the level 6 product design and development engineer and level 6 materials science technologist.Apprenticeships deliver strong outcomes and high satisfaction rates for learners and employers.94% of apprentices go into work or further training, with 93% in sustained employment, and many apprentices remain with the employer following their apprenticeship.In addition, latest data shows that 83% of employers were satisfied with their apprenticeship programme and 77% of employers reported improved productivity, while 86% of apprentices were satisfied with their apprenticeships and 88% felt their career prospects had improved since starting their apprenticeship.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits and disbenefits for (a) prospective and (b) current students of international student recruitment agencies operating in the UK.

The government welcomes international students, who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and make a significant economic contribution to the UK.Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions, which have the choice to use education recruitment agents when recruiting international students. Agents provide valuable services including marketing, promotion and support in identifying qualified students.The department is working with the Home Office to ensure that education recruitment agents meet the needs of prospective and current international students. This will include requiring HE providers who use them to adhere to the stringent Agent Quality Framework, a code of practice developed by the HE sector which sets out overarching principles for how providers should manage their commercial arrangements with agents.

What her plans are for higher education reform; and what the role is of innovation in that process.

The government is committed to setting out a plan for reform of the higher education (HE) sector by the summer, focused on five priorities. We will expect our HE providers to:Play a stronger role in expanding access and improving outcomes for disadvantaged students.Make a stronger contribution to economic growth.Play a greater civic role in their communities.Raise the bar further on teaching standards, to maintain and improve our world leading reputation and drive out poor practice.Drive a sustained efficiency and reform programme.My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, is working closely with Lord Vallance to build on HE providers’ already significant contribution to innovation, increasing their contribution to the UK economy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 16156 on Turing Scheme: Free School Meals, how many and what proportion of students with Turing grants are from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Through the Turing Scheme, in the 2024/25 academic year, education providers and other eligible organisations from across the UK and British Overseas Territories have been allocated over £105 million to send their students on more than 43,000 study and work placements across the globe. Around 23,000 (53%) of these opportunities will be for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.Information on the number and proportion of disadvantaged students in previous years of the Turing Scheme is available at the following links:2021/22 Academic Year: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2021-to-2022/.2022/23 Academic Year: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/.2023/24 Academic Year: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2023-to-2024/.For the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, the figures are subject to change following quality assurance of providers’ final reports of the placements that took place. This data will be published in due course.

How many and what proportion of (a) schools that have students with Turing grants are independent schools and (b) students that receive Turing grants attend independent schools.

For the 2024/25 academic year, over £10 million in funding was awarded to 298 successful schools projects from across the UK. This will provide funding for over 7,000 pupils to participate in placements overseas. Of these, 56% will be for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.Of these 298 successful school applications, 6 were from private schools (2%), providing funding for just over 100 pupils to take part in international placements (1.6%), however this is subject to change as these projects are delivered through the year.

How many and what proportion of students with Turing grants who are eligible for free school meals attend an independent school.

The Turing Scheme is the UK Government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad. The Turing Scheme provides additional funding to students from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them to participate in international placements. All students from disadvantaged backgrounds can get funding for travel-related costs. This includes visa application fees, vaccines, medical certificates, passports, and related travel insurance. Students with special educational needs and disabilities can also get funding for their support needs. Schools identify students from a disadvantaged background using the following criteria:Someone with an annual household income of £25,000 or less.Someone who has been entitled to free school meals (FSM) at any point in the past six years because of being in a low-income household.Someone with experience of being in care or who is a care leaver, including anyone who is or has been in care or from a looked after background at any stage of their life.A refugee or an asylum seeker.Someone who is receiving Universal Credit or income related benefits themselves, or lives with someone who does. Receiving FSM in reception, year 1 and year 2 in England or primary 1 to 5 in Scotland does not automatically meet the criteria for funding for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This list is not exhaustive. If a school identifies pupils who do not precisely meet these criteria but share similar characteristics which justify extra support, they may include them in their application. As the department does not gather data on which criteria students meet to be considered as being from a disadvantaged background, the department is not able to provide a breakdown of the number of participants in the Turing Scheme who are in receipt of FSM.

How many and what proportion of (a) schools and (b) students with Turing grants receive free school meals.

The Turing Scheme is the UK Government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad. The Turing Scheme provides additional funding to students from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them to participate in international placements. All students from disadvantaged backgrounds can get funding for travel-related costs. This includes visa application fees, vaccines, medical certificates, passports, and related travel insurance. Students with special educational needs and disabilities can also get funding for their support needs. Schools identify students from a disadvantaged background using the following criteria:Someone with an annual household income of £25,000 or less.Someone who has been entitled to free school meals (FSM) at any point in the past six years because of being in a low-income household.Someone with experience of being in care or who is a care leaver, including anyone who is or has been in care or from a looked after background at any stage of their life.A refugee or an asylum seeker.Someone who is receiving Universal Credit or income related benefits themselves, or lives with someone who does. Receiving FSM in reception, year 1 and year 2 in England or primary 1 to 5 in Scotland does not automatically meet the criteria for funding for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This list is not exhaustive. If a school identifies pupils who do not precisely meet these criteria but share similar characteristics which justify extra support, they may include them in their application. As the department does not gather data on which criteria students meet to be considered as being from a disadvantaged background, the department is not able to provide a breakdown of the number of participants in the Turing Scheme who are in receipt of FSM.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on higher education institutions.

Although my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, did not announce new funding for the higher education (HE) sector, we have since announced measures across fees, maintenance and wider HE reform to address financial pressures faced by the sector, increase support for students, strengthen efforts to improve access and outcomes for disadvantaged students and enable flexibility to be at the core of our HE system. The department is aware that HE providers will have to pay increased national insurance contributions. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the Budget, raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions which is why the government has asked employers to contribute more. The tuition fee limit increase represents an increased investment from students for the sector and will support HE providers in managing the financial challenges they are facing. The department will explore how best it can continue to improve access to HE, thus widening opportunity for our students and learners, while driving the HE system to play a bigger role in our ambitions for national growth.