Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the further education funding model on workforce planning.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We use the 16 to 19 funding formula to calculate an allocation of funding to each institution, each academic year for 16-19-year-olds. We calculate the basic funding for institutions using lagged student volumes and funding rates, which depend on the size of their students’ study programmes or T Levels.
The department issues allocations to institutions each spring setting out how much 16 to 19 funding they will receive in the coming academic year, which can help with planning.
The Adult Skills Fund engages adults aged 19 and above and provides the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. The recent move of adult skills to the Department for Work and Pensions provides an opportunity to strengthen the bonds between the Adult Skills Fund and progression into the labour market and will help ensure that the skills and employment systems are more fully aligned.
Further education providers are able to use this funding to support workforce and other costs.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of access to post-18 information for deaf pupils.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are improving careers advice in schools and colleges through the adoption of updated Gatsby Benchmarks into statutory guidance. The benchmarks put more focus on inclusion, making sure all pupils – including those in specialist settings – get personalised support and good quality, up-to-date information about future pathways, study options and labour market opportunities. We are funding training for careers leaders, Special Educational Needs Coordinators and other educators to help implement these benchmarks.
Young people who are deaf can also use the National Careers Service to get clear information about post‑18 options, along with careers and education advice designed for those with special educational needs or disabilities. The Service’s Accessibility Statement sets out how it supports people who face barriers in accessing information.
As they move into adulthood, deaf young people can receive more in‑depth, one‑to‑one guidance from community-based advisers. This enhanced support is prioritised for several groups, including individuals with SEND.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15559, if she will set out what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a stepped repayment structure for Plan 2 student loans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are determined that the higher education funding system should deliver for students, for our economy, and for universities.
The government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question (a) 115147, (b) 115148 and (c) 115149 tabled by the hon. Member for Bicester and Woodstock on 23 February 2026.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The response to Written Parliamentary Question 115148 was published on 2 March 2026. The responses to Written Parliamentary Questions 115147 and 115149 were published on 31 March 2026.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure [i] comparability of skills funding between mayoral combined authorities and non mayoral combined authorities and [ii] that skills funding is used to ensure the upskilling of local communities.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Approximately 68% of the Adult Skills Fund is currently devolved to 11 strategic authorities, 1 local authority and the Greater London Authority. From August 2026, a further 4 strategic authorities and 3 local authorities will receive this funding, taking the proportion to around 73%. Where funding is not devolved, the Department for Work and Pensions continue to administer it.
The funding allocation methodology is the same for mayoral and non-mayoral strategic authorities. However, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper, areas with a mayor have a single consolidated pot of adult skills funding with no ringfences.
To ensure that devolved skills funding meets the needs of local economies, in devolved areas each strategic authority is expected to develop and deliver a Strategic Skills Plan. This plan is informed by the region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and Local Growth Plan.
LSIPs set out the skills needs of an area and the changes required to better align skills provision with employer needs. In both mayoral and non-mayoral areas, the strategic authority works jointly with the designated employer representative body to develop and implement the plan.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the value of interest repayments on Plan 2 student loans net of (a) the Government’s cost of financing student loan outlay, (b) expected write-offs and (c) administrative costs.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Repayments made against accrued interest are not separated from repayments made against the borrowed portion of the loan.
The department publishes an estimate of the subsidy portion of student loan outlay in the form of the Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) charge. The RAB charge for Plan 2 outlay in England in 2024/25 was 32%.
The RAB charge is calculated as the present value of student loan outlay less expected future repayments, discounted by inflation plus the financial instrument discount rate. Expectations of interest, write offs and the government’s borrowing costs are factored into the fair value of student loans on issuance. In valuing the loan book at financial year end, estimated operational costs of servicing student loans are accounted for, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Higher interest relative to inflation reduces the forecasted cost of the loan system due to increased future repayments.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Plan 2 student loan borrowers have repaid in real terms more than (a) 100 per cent, (b) 120 per cent and (c) 150 per cent of the amount originally borrowed; and how many of those borrowers have (i) an outstanding balance and (ii) fully repaid their loans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not hold data that allows us to provide the proportion of the amount originally borrowed that has been repaid in real terms.
The projected percentage of Plan 2 student borrowers in 2022 who are expected to fully repay their loan in real terms is available at:
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2026 to Question 109541 on Jean Monnet Action: Finance, whether UK educational institutions will participate in the Jean Monnet Actions in relation to (a) supporting European Union studies, (b) the Jean Monnet Network on internal policy and (c) teacher training.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire to the answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 114071.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what was the funding per student in English further education colleges in 2010, 2024 and 2025-26.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
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 colleges | |
2024/25 | £6,753 |
2025/26 | £7,419 |
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is her Department’s estimate of the (a) average level of student loan debt of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 and (b) average level of student loan debt of Plan 2 students at the point that the freeze in repayment thresholds is planned to end in 2029-2030 for which the latest data is available.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The current mean average level of student loan balance of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 to the nearest £100, as of 9 February, is £52,100 for England domiciled borrowers.
We do not hold a forecast for this average balance in 2029/30 on a consistent basis to the above figure provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC), as we forecast loan balances at the course level rather than borrower level, so cannot calculate the average balance by borrower.
The total level of student loan balances of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 is £213 billion (to the nearest billion, as of 31 March 2025), for England and EU domiciled borrowers, as published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025/student-loans-in-england-financial-year-2024-25.
Our modelled forecast of estimated total loan balance at the end of 2029/30 is £249 billion (rounded to the nearest billion, estimate for 1 April 2030), as published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2024-25#explore-data-and-files.
The 2029/30 total loan balance figure is forecasted and not certain. More details on the methodology are here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/student-loan-forecasts-for-england.