Written questions by Foy.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing student number controls to address competition in the sector.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will set out a plan for reform of the higher education sector in the summer. These reforms will ensure our world-leading sector can provide the skills required to deliver economic growth through the industrial strategy and support the wider changes the country needs in the years to come.As part of this plan, the department will focus on providers’ efficiency and effectiveness, increasing collaboration with other skills providers, strengthening the civic role of providers and ensuring the right improvement and stronger alignment of provision with the needs of students and the economy.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of visa restrictions on revenue streams in the Higher Education sector.

There are many factors that influence international students when they choose to study abroad. These include the range and quality of available courses, the visa rules that apply in countries they are considering, and the appeal of living and studying in those countries.Several changes were made to the immigration system in 2024, restricting international students from bringing family members with them to the UK unless they are studying a PhD, doctorate or research-based higher degree. These restrictions will be continued, as confirmed by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department in early February, in line with the government’s commitment to manage migration carefully. The Home Office has also published a full impact assessment of changes made to student and work visas in 2024, alongside their introduction.Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows that international students contributed £12.1 billion in tuition fees to UK higher education (HE) providers in the 2022/23 academic year.This government has made clear its approach to international students. We welcome international students who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of higher education (a) funding and (b) governance.

Education is a devolved matter and as such issues relating to higher education (HE) in the devolved nations is a matter for the relevant government.The HE sector needs a secure financial footing to face the challenges of the next decade, and to ensure that all students can be confident they will receive the world-class HE experience they deserve. This is why, after seven years of frozen fee caps under the previous government, the department has taken the difficult decision to increase maximum tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation.In return for the increased investment we are asking students to make, we expect the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country. We will publish our plan for HE reform in summer 2025, and work with the sector and the Office for Students (OfS), the regulator of HE in England, to deliver the change that the country needs.The government also provides funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant on an annual basis to support teaching and students in HE, including expensive-to-deliver subjects such as science and engineering, students at risk of discontinuing their studies, and world-leading specialist providers.Further, in December, the OfS announced temporary changes to its operations to allow greater focus on financial sustainability. Ultimately, HE providers are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary and appropriate financial decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability.We are clear that HE providers need to ensure their governance arrangements are robust and facilitate prudent financial planning, and are fit for purpose more widely, including upholding academic freedom and freedom of speech and ensuring good quality of provision. The OfS has recently consulted on proposals to strengthen the conditions related to management and governance for providers that wish to join its register.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) increasing the provision and (b) improving civic education.

Civic education is already taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. This covers parliamentary democracy, the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, the power of government and how citizens and Parliament hold it to account. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. Support for curriculum delivery is available through optional, free and adaptable resources from Oak National Academy, freeing teachers to teach using the best possible resources and reducing workload so that they can concentrate on delivering lessons. Oak National Academy launched its new curriculum sequences for secondary citizenship earlier this academic year, with the full package of curriculum resources expected to be available by autumn 2025. Resources from the Oak National Academy can be found here: https://www.thenational.academy/. The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review is looking at all subjects, including citizenship, and seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The final report with recommendations will be published this autumn, along with the government’s response.

What steps she is taking to ensure the sustainability of high-quality chemistry (a) teaching and (b) research.

High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The government recognises that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, such as chemistry, are vital for the UK’s future economic needs and to drive up productivity.The department has therefore put in place an initial teacher training financial incentives package for the STEM subjects for 2025/26, including bursaries worth £29,000 and scholarships worth £31,000 tax-free. We are also offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for chemistry teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. Oak National Academy provides optional, high-quality curriculum resources which teachers can use to support their lessons.In relation to higher education (HE), the department, along with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is providing an additional £1.3 billion in capital investment for teaching and research over the current spending review period. This academic year 2024/25, more than two thirds of the £1.4 billion strategic priorities grant recurrent budget allocated to providers, is supporting the provision of high-cost subjects, for example medicine and dentistry, science, engineering and technology subjects, and specific labour market needs. We are also increasing core research funding to over £6.1 billion to offer real-terms protection to the UK's world leading research base and to support UK Research and Innovation to deliver on the UK's key research priorities.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing musical and wider cultural education alongside the child poverty reduction strategy.

Participation in the arts can bring a range of benefits for children and young people, over and above its intrinsic value, including a positive impact on academic outcomes in other curriculum areas, as well as benefits to children’s wellbeing and attitude to learning.That is why this government is committed to ensuring the arts are no longer the preserve of the privileged few.The department has announced a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, which will support excellent teacher training in the arts. We have also invested in the Music Opportunities Pilot, with a £2 million contribution from the department, offering free instrument and vocal lessons to disadvantaged pupils. In addition, we are providing £79 million revenue funding per year for the Music Hubs programme, supporting children to access music opportunities in and beyond school, with an additional £25 million capital for musical instruments, equipment and adaptations for pupils with special education needs and disabilities.The government has also established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum, so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music and drama.Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances for every child. Evidence suggests that children growing up in low-income families miss childhood experiences central to their wellbeing, including being less likely to participate in extra-curricular activities and having less access to wider social and cultural activities.This government’s commitment to a deep understanding of the drivers and experience of poverty in households across the UK underpins every aspect of our approach to the Child Poverty Strategy. The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience and better local support especially in the early years.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that new investment in further education contributes to (a) improving staff conditions and (b) closing pay gaps between college and school teachers.

This government is committed to ensuring there is a thriving further education (FE) sector, which is vital to our missions to break down the barriers to opportunity and deliver economic growth.At the October 2024 Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancell...

Whether levels of food insecurity will be a key metric of the Child Poverty Taskforce.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances for every child. For too many children, living in poverty robs them of the opportunity to learn and prosper.Child poverty has increased by 700,0...

Whether she is taking steps through education settings to help reduce child hygiene poverty.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances for every child. For too many children, living in poverty robs them of the opportunity to learn and to prosper.On 17 July 2024, my Right hon. Fr...

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of special educational needs and disability services for children in City of Durham constituency.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission inspected local arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in County Durham in June 2024. The report is due to be published in August 2024. County Durham is part of the department's Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme. The DBV programme, which was established by the previous government, aims to work with selected authorities to review how services are structured and delivered to achieve better outcomes for children and young people with SEND in a sustainable way. The DBV programme achieves this by helping each of the participating local areas complete a diagnostic to work out the root causes of their challenges and identify local opportunities to sustainably improve the outcomes and experiences of the children and young people with SEND in their care. On completion of their diagnostic, County Durham created an action plan to address their key local challenges and implement service reforms. Based on this, the department provided grant funding of £1 million to support the delivery of their plans. This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, and to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.