Written questions by Foy.

With reference to the report entitled Evaluation of Action Access, an Alternative to Detention Pilot by UNHCR, published in January 2022, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of community-based alternatives to detention for women.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that women have access to high-quality (a) interpretation and (b) translation services at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre.

There is detailed guidance for staff working at all Immigration Removal Centres (IRC), including Derwentside. Detention Services Order ‘Interpretation Services and use of Translation Devices’ provides instruction and guidance on the use of interpretation services and electronic translation devices. It sets out the provisions, including interpretation services and translation devices available for individuals held in immigration detention, and the circumstances in which these should be used. During the arrivals and induction process, a primary and secondary language assessment is conducted. The outcome of those assessments is recorded on the individual’s profile. For those requiring interpreters, staff at Derwentside have access to dedicated telephone interpretation services 24 hours a day. In addition, electronic translation devices are available to support informal engagement. Together, these enable support for women throughout their time in the centre.

Whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the weight that should be given to quality of life issues when assessing local speed limits.

Traffic authorities have the power to make speed limits on the public roads which they manage.  English authorities are asked to consider the best practice guidance ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’, designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances.  This lists important factors that may be taken into account which include, among other things, the composition of road users including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users, and the road environment such as the level of roadside development and the possible impacts (for example, severance, noise or air quality) on residents.  This could include effects on the curtilage of neighbouring properties.The final decision is for the traffic authority, working with the police who would carry out any enforcement.The Department’s guidance to English traffic authorities can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring local authorities to consider the curtilage of properties when assessing local speed limits.

Traffic authorities have the power to make speed limits on the public roads which they manage.  English authorities are asked to consider the best practice guidance ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’, designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances.  This lists important factors that may be taken into account which include, among other things, the composition of road users including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users, and the road environment such as the level of roadside development and the possible impacts (for example, severance, noise or air quality) on residents.  This could include effects on the curtilage of neighbouring properties.The final decision is for the traffic authority, working with the police who would carry out any enforcement.The Department’s guidance to English traffic authorities can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits.

Whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities on considering the hierarchy of road users when assessing local speed limits.

Traffic authorities have the power to make speed limits on the public roads which they manage.  English authorities are asked to consider the best practice guidance ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’, designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances.  This lists important factors that may be taken into account which include, among other things, the composition of road users including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users, and the road environment such as the level of roadside development and the possible impacts (for example, severance, noise or air quality) on residents.  This could include effects on the curtilage of neighbouring properties.The final decision is for the traffic authority, working with the police who would carry out any enforcement.The Department’s guidance to English traffic authorities can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May to Question 904060 on Personal Independence Payment: Reform, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed PIP changes on people in the North East.

Estimates of the impact of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reforms are made for England and Wales only and not on region or any other geographic area.The department does not forecast benefit receipt at a regional level, nor have estimates of the behavioural impacts of the policy been produced at a regional level.There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility and rebalancing of UC aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026 for UC and November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.No one will lose access to PIP immediately. The changes, subject to parliamentary approval, would be brought in from November 2026. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. Someone who didn’t score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment – not least as many conditions tend to get worse, not better, over time.After taking account of behavioural changes, OBR predicts that 370,000 people who will be receiving PIP at the point of implementation of the four point requirement in November 2026, will have lost their PIP Daily Living entitlement by 2029/30. Of all PIP recipients at the point of implementation, 9 in 10 will not lose PIP during the subsequent 3 years from this change.The number of people currently on PIP and did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious.We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of making the wearing of cycle helmets a legal requirement for cyclists.

The Department for Transport considered the case for mandating the wearing of cycle helmets as part of a cycling and walking safety review in 2018. The review concluded that the safety benefits were likely to be outweighed by the fact that this would put some people off cycling. This would, in turn, reduce the wider health and environmental benefits. The Department recommends that cycle helmets should be worn and this is set out in The Highway Code, but does not intend to make it a legal requirement.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on people in the North East.

It is vital that our social security system, including PIP, is sustainable now and into the future.That is why we are reforming the system, so we protect those who can never work and so that those who can work get the help they need and deserve – including by investing an additional £1 billion in our new Pathways to Work employment programme.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department includes local authority (a) owned and (b) managed Gypsy and Traveller sites within its definition of social housing under the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.

All registered providers of social housing, including local authorities, are required to deliver the outcomes of the consumer standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing (‘the regulator’). The regulatory standards apply to social housing as defined by the Housing and Regeneration Act (2008). The Act defines low-cost rental accommodation as accommodation rented below market rate and made available to those whose needs may not be adequately served by the commercial market. Socially rented residential homes on local authority owned or managed Gypsy and Traveller sites will be subject to the regulator’s consumer standards if they meet the definition of social housing under the Act.

What steps her Department is taking to support post-92 institutions to (a) improve the educational experience and (b) widen participation of disadvantaged students.

All higher education (HE) providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an access and participation plan approved by the OfS. Access and participation plans articulate how HE providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups.The department wants providers to be more ambitious and play a stronger role in improving the access and outcomes for disadvantaged students.The department made £281 million of funding available to providers for the 2024/25 academic year via the recurrent element of the Strategic Priorities Grant. This was in the form of student premiums and mental health support to support successful outcomes for students, including for disadvantaged students. Funding arrangements for the next academic year will be announced in due course.

What steps she is taking to to help improve access for students to courses at all levels in (a) history, (b) arts and (c) the humanities.

The government is committed to supporting access to creative subjects, such as the arts, history and humanities, in higher education.For the 2024/25 academic year, the department has allocated around £12.9 million in high-cost subject funding from the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) towards creative and performing arts courses to cover course costs.The department has also maintained SPG funding for world-leading small and specialist providers at £58 million for the 2024/25 academic year. Of the 20 providers recognised in this way, 12 are creative and performing arts providers.​​ ​

What steps her Department is taking to help mitigate potential job losses in the higher education sector.

The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of English higher education (HE) providers, collects and analyses providers’ financial data to ensure they have an up to date understanding of the sustainability of the sector.The OfS’ May 2024 report set out their assessment of the HE sector’s financial health for the 2022/23 financial year and forecasts for the next four financial years. On 15 November, the OfS published an update to this report, which found that the financial context for the HE sector has become more challenging since the May report. The government works closely with the OfS to understand the financial landscape in the sector.While the sector is autonomous and independent, the government is determined to secure the future of our world-leading HE sector. That is why we have taken decisive action to support providers in moving towards a more stable financial footing.In March, Professor Edward Peck was appointed as substantive Chair of the OfS. Professor Peck will continue the work of interim Chair, Sir David Behan, focusing on the sector’s financial sustainability and increasing opportunities in HE.Moreover, in November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits in line with forecast inflation. The maximum fee for a standard full-time undergraduate course in the 2025/26 academic year will increase by 3.1%, from £9,250 to £9,535. In return for the increased investment we are asking students to make, the department expects the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country.The department is clear that HE providers need to ensure their governance arrangements are robust and facilitate prudent, transparent and strategic financial planning. Providers must also ensure they are fit for purpose more widely, including upholding academic freedom, 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.The government also recognises the impact that financial pressures are having on the HE workforce. We are aware that some providers are making difficult decisions around staffing in order to safeguard their financial sustainability. Given universities are independent, they are responsible for pay and provision of staff and the government does not have a role in intervening. However, we expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and experience to help identify how best to operate efficiently. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.This government is determined to build a HE system fit for the future. Ministers and departmental officials remain dedicated to engaging with the OfS, the employer body, HE unions and the wider sector. Regular discussions are being held to gain a deeper understanding of the issues impacting HE providers, students and staff. This collaborative effort will contribute to the development of the department’s plan for HE reform, which we will publish in the summer.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a review of the governance of higher education.

The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of English higher education (HE) providers, collects and analyses providers’ financial data to ensure they have an up to date understanding of the sustainability of the sector.The OfS’ May 2024 report set out their assessment of the HE sector’s financial health for the 2022/23 financial year and forecasts for the next four financial years. On 15 November, the OfS published an update to this report, which found that the financial context for the HE sector has become more challenging since the May report. The government works closely with the OfS to understand the financial landscape in the sector.While the sector is autonomous and independent, the government is determined to secure the future of our world-leading HE sector. That is why we have taken decisive action to support providers in moving towards a more stable financial footing.In March, Professor Edward Peck was appointed as substantive Chair of the OfS. Professor Peck will continue the work of interim Chair, Sir David Behan, focusing on the sector’s financial sustainability and increasing opportunities in HE.Moreover, in November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits in line with forecast inflation. The maximum fee for a standard full-time undergraduate course in the 2025/26 academic year will increase by 3.1%, from £9,250 to £9,535. In return for the increased investment we are asking students to make, the department expects the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country.The department is clear that HE providers need to ensure their governance arrangements are robust and facilitate prudent, transparent and strategic financial planning. Providers must also ensure they are fit for purpose more widely, including upholding academic freedom, 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.The government also recognises the impact that financial pressures are having on the HE workforce. We are aware that some providers are making difficult decisions around staffing in order to safeguard their financial sustainability. Given universities are independent, they are responsible for pay and provision of staff and the government does not have a role in intervening. However, we expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and experience to help identify how best to operate efficiently. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.This government is determined to build a HE system fit for the future. Ministers and departmental officials remain dedicated to engaging with the OfS, the employer body, HE unions and the wider sector. Regular discussions are being held to gain a deeper understanding of the issues impacting HE providers, students and staff. This collaborative effort will contribute to the development of the department’s plan for HE reform, which we will publish in the summer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of research funding in the higher education sector.

Total government investment in research and development will amount to £20.4 billion in 2025-26, protecting the highest levels of public investment in the sector. UKRI has been allocated £8.8 billion, of which £6 billion has been allocated through research council R&D budgets. This includes £2.4 billion through Research England for strategic institutional research funding for higher education providers.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage strategic financial planning in the higher education sector.

The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of English higher education (HE) providers, collects and analyses providers’ financial data to ensure they have an up to date understanding of the sustainability of the sector.The OfS’ May 2024 report set out their assessment of the HE sector’s financial health for the 2022/23 financial year and forecasts for the next four financial years. On 15 November, the OfS published an update to this report, which found that the financial context for the HE sector has become more challenging since the May report. The government works closely with the OfS to understand the financial landscape in the sector.While the sector is autonomous and independent, the government is determined to secure the future of our world-leading HE sector. That is why we have taken decisive action to support providers in moving towards a more stable financial footing.In March, Professor Edward Peck was appointed as substantive Chair of the OfS. Professor Peck will continue the work of interim Chair, Sir David Behan, focusing on the sector’s financial sustainability and increasing opportunities in HE.Moreover, in November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits in line with forecast inflation. The maximum fee for a standard full-time undergraduate course in the 2025/26 academic year will increase by 3.1%, from £9,250 to £9,535. In return for the increased investment we are asking students to make, the department expects the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country.The department is clear that HE providers need to ensure their governance arrangements are robust and facilitate prudent, transparent and strategic financial planning. Providers must also ensure they are fit for purpose more widely, including upholding academic freedom, 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.The government also recognises the impact that financial pressures are having on the HE workforce. We are aware that some providers are making difficult decisions around staffing in order to safeguard their financial sustainability. Given universities are independent, they are responsible for pay and provision of staff and the government does not have a role in intervening. However, we expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and experience to help identify how best to operate efficiently. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.This government is determined to build a HE system fit for the future. Ministers and departmental officials remain dedicated to engaging with the OfS, the employer body, HE unions and the wider sector. Regular discussions are being held to gain a deeper understanding of the issues impacting HE providers, students and staff. This collaborative effort will contribute to the development of the department’s plan for HE reform, which we will publish in the summer.

If she will take steps to increase financial decision-making transparency in universities.

The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of English higher education (HE) providers, collects and analyses providers’ financial data to ensure they have an up to date understanding of the sustainability of the sector.The OfS’ May 2024 report set out their assessment of the HE sector’s financial health for the 2022/23 financial year and forecasts for the next four financial years. On 15 November, the OfS published an update to this report, which found that the financial context for the HE sector has become more challenging since the May report. The government works closely with the OfS to understand the financial landscape in the sector.While the sector is autonomous and independent, the government is determined to secure the future of our world-leading HE sector. That is why we have taken decisive action to support providers in moving towards a more stable financial footing.In March, Professor Edward Peck was appointed as substantive Chair of the OfS. Professor Peck will continue the work of interim Chair, Sir David Behan, focusing on the sector’s financial sustainability and increasing opportunities in HE.Moreover, in November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits in line with forecast inflation. The maximum fee for a standard full-time undergraduate course in the 2025/26 academic year will increase by 3.1%, from £9,250 to £9,535. In return for the increased investment we are asking students to make, the department expects the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country.The department is clear that HE providers need to ensure their governance arrangements are robust and facilitate prudent, transparent and strategic financial planning. Providers must also ensure they are fit for purpose more widely, including upholding academic freedom, 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.The government also recognises the impact that financial pressures are having on the HE workforce. We are aware that some providers are making difficult decisions around staffing in order to safeguard their financial sustainability. Given universities are independent, they are responsible for pay and provision of staff and the government does not have a role in intervening. However, we expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and experience to help identify how best to operate efficiently. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.This government is determined to build a HE system fit for the future. Ministers and departmental officials remain dedicated to engaging with the OfS, the employer body, HE unions and the wider sector. Regular discussions are being held to gain a deeper understanding of the issues impacting HE providers, students and staff. This collaborative effort will contribute to the development of the department’s plan for HE reform, which we will publish in the summer.

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.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an alternative to the fee-based funding model for higher education.

The higher education (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, we have 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.The government believes in the principle that a fee-based funding model and income-contingent student loan repayment system is the most equitable way of ensuring that individuals who have benefited directly from HE make a fair contribution towards its cost. Upfront tuition fee loans have allowed many more students, including disadvantaged students, to access HE through removing financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter HE can do so.Student loans have important protections for borrowers. Monthly repayments depend on earnings, not on interest rates or the amount borrowed, and no-one who earns under the student loan repayment threshold is required to make any repayments at all. At the end of the loan term, any outstanding loan balance, including interest built up, will be written off with no detriment to the borrower.The department will publish its plan for broader HE reform this summer and work with the sector and the Office for Students to deliver the change that the country needs.

If she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to remove the immigration health surcharge for international students.

It is right that international students pay the immigration health surcharge (IHS), which sees them make a financial contribution to the comprehensive range of NHS services available to them during their stay in the UK. Students are subject to the discounted rate of £776 per person, per year.This government currently has no plans to remove the IHS for international students. We have, however, made clear that our overall approach is to welcome international students who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.

What assessment her Department has made of the stability of higher education finances.

The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of English higher education (HE) providers, collects and analyses providers’ financial data to ensure they have an up to date understanding of the sustainability of the sector.The OfS’ May 2024 report set out their assessment of the HE sector’s financial health for the 2022/23 financial year and forecasts for the next four financial years. On 15 November, the OfS published an update to this report, which found that the financial context for the HE sector has become more challenging since the May report. The government works closely with the OfS to understand the financial landscape in the sector.While the sector is autonomous and independent, the government is determined to secure the future of our world-leading HE sector. That is why we have taken decisive action to support providers in moving towards a more stable financial footing.In March, Professor Edward Peck was appointed as substantive Chair of the OfS. Professor Peck will continue the work of interim Chair, Sir David Behan, focusing on the sector’s financial sustainability and increasing opportunities in HE.Moreover, in November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits in line with forecast inflation. The maximum fee for a standard full-time undergraduate course in the 2025/26 academic year will increase by 3.1%, from £9,250 to £9,535. In return for the increased investment we are asking students to make, the department expects the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country.The department is clear that HE providers need to ensure their governance arrangements are robust and facilitate prudent, transparent and strategic financial planning. Providers must also ensure they are fit for purpose more widely, including upholding academic freedom, 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.The government also recognises the impact that financial pressures are having on the HE workforce. We are aware that some providers are making difficult decisions around staffing in order to safeguard their financial sustainability. Given universities are independent, they are responsible for pay and provision of staff and the government does not have a role in intervening. However, we expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and experience to help identify how best to operate efficiently. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.This government is determined to build a HE system fit for the future. Ministers and departmental officials remain dedicated to engaging with the OfS, the employer body, HE unions and the wider sector. Regular discussions are being held to gain a deeper understanding of the issues impacting HE providers, students and staff. This collaborative effort will contribute to the development of the department’s plan for HE reform, which we will publish in the summer.