Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made on the adequacy of funding for children with special educational need in Bradford.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child and young person, with a world-class curriculum and highly trained, expert staff at every phase of learning.
High needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND was increased by over £1 billion, or 11%, in 2025/26 and funding will continue at this increased level in 2026/27.
Total high needs funding will be well over £12 billion in 2026/27. Of that total Bradford City Council will be allocated over £139 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant.
Local authorities will receive at least £3 billion for high needs capital between 2026/27 and 2029/30, and we will publish allocations for 2026/27 in the spring. This builds on £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26, of which Bradford Council has been allocated approximately £7.3 million.
When the Schools White Paper is published early in 2026, we will set out further details on additional funding for both local authorities and schools to drive forward reform of the SEND system.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to increase funding for Bradford City Council to support children with SEND.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child and young person, with a world-class curriculum and highly trained, expert staff at every phase of learning.
High needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND was increased by over £1 billion, or 11%, in 2025/26 and funding will continue at this increased level in 2026/27.
Total high needs funding will be well over £12 billion in 2026/27. Of that total Bradford City Council will be allocated over £139 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant.
Local authorities will receive at least £3 billion for high needs capital between 2026/27 and 2029/30, and we will publish allocations for 2026/27 in the spring. This builds on £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26, of which Bradford Council has been allocated approximately £7.3 million.
When the Schools White Paper is published early in 2026, we will set out further details on additional funding for both local authorities and schools to drive forward reform of the SEND system.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of maintaining thresholds for Plan 2 student loan repayments on trends in the level of repayments made by graduates; and what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of maintaining this threshold on the marginal effective tax rate for graduates earning above that threshold.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department produced the following analysis regarding the impact of maintaining the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans on the lifetime repayments made by borrowers:
Average lifetime repayments (2024/25 financial year prices) | |||||
Baseline (£) | Post- policy (£) | Impact | |||
£ | % | ||||
Entire cohort | 27,000 | 28,300 | 1,300 | 5 | |
Average | |||||
Lifetime graduate earnings decile | 1 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 0 | 0 |
2 | 4,300 | 4,700 | 400 | 9 | |
3 | 7,700 | 8,100 | 400 | 5 | |
4 | 11,600 | 13,000 | 1,400 | 12 | |
5 | 16,900 | 18,500 | 1,600 | 9 | |
6 | 23,100 | 25,200 | 2,100 | 9 | |
7 | 31,300 | 33,600 | 2,300 | 7 | |
8 | 41,200 | 43,500 | 2,300 | 6 | |
9 | 54,500 | 56,100 | 1,600 | 3 | |
10 | 59,100 | 59,500 | 400 | 1 | |
The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.
The rate of repayment for undergraduate student loans remains at 9% on all income above the relevant threshold. Other factors, including any reliefs, pension contributions, or receipt of certain means-tested welfare benefits could adjust an individual’s effective tax rate.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of salary differences between college lecturers and school teachers on recruitment to further education teaching posts for (a) construction and (b) electrical engineering courses.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education (FE) colleges are responsible for setting and negotiating staff pay and terms and conditions within colleges.
The government recognises that colleges are facing recruitment challenges in construction and engineering. That is why our targeted retention incentive scheme gives eligible early career college teachers in priority subjects, including building and construction and engineering, up to £6,000 after tax annually. In the 2024/25 academic year, almost 6,000 teachers received payments.
In addition, we have announced that areas with Local Skills Improvement Plans will benefit from £20 million to form partnerships between FE providers and construction employers. This will help to build links between colleges and industry and boost the number of teachers with construction experience in FE.
Across the spending review period, we will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/2029. This significant investment will ensure there is increased funding to colleges and other 16 to19 providers to enable the recruitment and retention of expert teachers in high value subject areas, and interventions to retain top teaching talent.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Plan 2 student loan borrowers there are resident in Stroud.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As of 30 April 2025, there were approximately 19,000 (to the nearest 1000) Plan 2 student loan borrowers with a positive loan balance registered with the Student Loans Company (SLC) to postcodes which fall wholly or partly within the local authority area of Stroud District Local Authority.
This will include borrowers who were resident in Stroud, including at parental addresses, when they applied for the loan and have not informed the SLC of a subsequent change of address.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidential basis her department is using to promote resource bases for pupils with specialist needs in mainstream schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for West Suffolk to the answer of 13 February 2026 to Question 103940.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many undergraduate courses eligible for student loans have median graduate earnings below the repayment threshold five years after graduation.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Under the current Plan 5 student loan system, the repayment threshold is £25,000. Nationally, graduates across all subject areas have median earnings above this, five years after graduation, with the exception of Performing Arts graduates whose median earnings are £24,500.
More detail on courses at specific providers can be found in the department‘s published LEO provider level dashboard, which contains earnings outcomes at five years after graduation for each ‘provider x subject’ combination. This is available here: https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/leo-provider-dashboard/
It should be noted that many of these combinations have outcomes suppressed due to low sample sizes, meaning it is not possible to produce a robust count of the total number of such courses.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the student loan interest rate on costs to the public purse.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Applying interest to the loans ensures that those who benefit financially from higher education (HE) contribute towards the cost of that HE. To ensure the real value of the loans over the repayment term, interest is linked to inflation. Interest increases the face value of the student loan book, but the impact on the fair value depends on complex assumptions about lifetime repayments.
In cashflow terms, neither outlay nor repayments are affected by a higher interest rate in the short term. Only when borrowers approach the end of their repayments would there be an increase in repayments through additional interest leading to extended repayment periods up to the maximum of 30 years for Plan 2 and 40 years for Plan 5 loans.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her Department's answer to 108730, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reducing the constant rate of student loan repayments from 9% to 5%.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Plan 2 student loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Interest rates are applied at the Retail Price Index (RPI) only, then variable up to an upper limit of RPI +3% depending on earnings. This maintains the real value of repayments over a long loan term. As an additional borrower protection, interest rates on post-2012 loans are automatically capped by the prevailing market rate for comparable unsecured personal loans, ensuring borrowers are protected if market conditions change.
Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. For example, someone earning £30,000 will repay around £4 per month in the 2026/27 financial years under the repayment threshold of £29,385.
Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.
This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy, and the 9% over-threshold repayment rate keeps higher education funding sustainable and ensures the costs are shared fairly between students and taxpayers.
Reducing the repayment rate to 5% would significantly increase the cost to taxpayers, many of whom have not attended university, which in turn would undermine the sustainability of higher education funding.
My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills has written to the Rethink Repayment campaign organiser via their MP regarding this issue.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of placing an upper limit on real terms interest that can be accrued on Plan 2 student loans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Plan 2 student loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Interest rates are applied at the Retail Price Index (RPI) only, then variable up to an upper limit of RPI +3% depending on earnings. This maintains the real value of repayments over a long loan term. As an additional borrower protection, interest rates on post-2012 loans are automatically capped by the prevailing market rate for comparable unsecured personal loans, ensuring borrowers are protected if market conditions change.
Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. For example, someone earning £30,000 will repay around £4 per month in the 2026/27 financial years under the repayment threshold of £29,385.
Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.
This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy, and the 9% over-threshold repayment rate keeps higher education funding sustainable and ensures the costs are shared fairly between students and taxpayers.
Reducing the repayment rate to 5% would significantly increase the cost to taxpayers, many of whom have not attended university, which in turn would undermine the sustainability of higher education funding.
My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills has written to the Rethink Repayment campaign organiser via their MP regarding this issue.