Every parliamentary written question tabled by Gareth Thomas this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–12 of 12 · Department for Education
What was the funding per student in English further education colleges in 2010, 2024 and 2025-26.
The table below uses the published 16 to 19 funding allocations to derive the average total programme funding per student in general further education (FE) colleges, for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years. The figures are not available for 2010 to 2011.Average funding per student in general FE colleges2024/25£6,7532025/26£7,419
What programmes are available to encourage businesses to provide industrial secondments to university lecturers.
Economic growth is the central mission of this government and is vital to give the next generation the opportunities to thrive.The government encourages work experience through various initiatives spanning various departments. The Department for Business and Trade published the UK’s Industrial, Trade and Small Business Strategies, which were developed in partnership with business, with positive feedback from leading business organisations. For example, the Industrial Strategy will provide an additional £1.2 billion of investment in the skills system by 2028/29.Higher education providers are autonomous institutions and are responsible for designing and delivering their own courses. This includes decisions on whether to offer internships, work placements or industrial secondments.It is for individual universities to work with businesses to develop and manage these opportunities in ways that best meet the needs of their students, employers and academic staff.
What assistance is being provided to businesses to help them offer work placements to undergraduates.
Economic growth is the central mission of this government and is vital to give the next generation the opportunities to thrive.The government encourages work experience through various initiatives spanning various departments. The Department for Business and Trade published the UK’s Industrial, Trade and Small Business Strategies, which were developed in partnership with business, with positive feedback from leading business organisations. For example, the Industrial Strategy will provide an additional £1.2 billion of investment in the skills system by 2028/29.Higher education providers are autonomous institutions and are responsible for designing and delivering their own courses. This includes decisions on whether to offer internships, work placements or industrial secondments.It is for individual universities to work with businesses to develop and manage these opportunities in ways that best meet the needs of their students, employers and academic staff.
Whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.
The department’s financial wellbeing offer for its workforce includes access to a variety of advances including rental deposits and season ticket loans and budgeting advice. We have no current plans to introduce payroll deductions for Credit Union membership. Decisions for Arm’s Length Bodies are up to each organisation.
Whether she will make an estimate of how many education employers offer their employees the opportunity to join a credit union via payroll deduction.
The department does not hold this information.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging education employers to promote membership of a credit union to teachers and non-teaching staff.
The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions. The department is not the employer of any school staff, and it would therefore be inappropriate to encourage or recommend membership to specific financial products or institutions.
If she will hold discussions with exam boards on introducing a GCSE in Somali.
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Somali and/or Romanian GCSE based on the subject content for modern foreign languages set by the department. This decision would be informed by several factors, including the level of demand from schools and the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language.
If she will hold discussions with exam boards on introducing a GCSE in Romanian.
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Somali and/or Romanian GCSE based on the subject content for modern foreign languages set by the department. This decision would be informed by several factors, including the level of demand from schools and the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language.
If she will hold discussions with exam boards on offering GCSEs in Tamil.
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Tamil GCSE based on the subject content for modern foreign languages set by the department. This decision would be informed by several factors, including the level of demand from schools and the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language.
Whether British students will be able to take part in the Erasmus+ exchange programme by January 2027.
As set out at the UK-EU Summit in May, the UK agreed to work towards association to the Erasmus+ programme on mutually agreed financial terms.Negotiations are ongoing, and the timelines for any association are subject to ongoing discussion. We are open to associating to Erasmus+ for 2027 in principle, but only if we can reach agreement on financial terms, which should ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions of and benefits to the UK.
If she will take steps to ensure that young people are taught about co-operatives as part of the national curriculum.
A high quality citizenship education helps to provide pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society. The citizenship curriculum is compulsory within the national curriculum at secondary and primary schools can choose to teach citizenship at key stages 1 and 2, following the non-statutory framework for citizenship.Pupils should be taught about the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, which could include co-operatives, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities.The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is seeking to deliver a curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published shortly with the government’s response.
When sixth form colleges will be able to access the £375m of capital expansion funding earmarked in the Industrial Strategy.
We know that the 16 to 19 population has been increasing in some parts of England and that extra capacity has been needed in post-16 places in some areas.The post-16 Capacity Fund has already invested £282 million between 2021 to 2025 for additional capacity and we will be investing a further £375 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to provide additional places.We will make announcements in due course and provide further information about the delivery of the £375 million capital funding secured for the post-16 sector.