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 rise in young people not in education, employment or training on local economic growth in Leicester; and what funding is being allocated to local authorities in the East Midlands to tackle this trend.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government recognises that supporting young people into education, training and employment is key to economic growth and improving living standards. In 2026, 6.9% of 16 to 17-year-olds in Leicester were not in education, employment or training (NEET) or their activity was not known, unchanged from 2025. This was above the East Midlands rate of 6.2% and the England rate of 5.8%.

The government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over three years through the Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy, alongside measures to prevent young people from becoming NEET.

The East Midlands received £5 million as one of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers testing joined-up local approaches. In Leicester, the city council provides targeted prevention and re-engagement support through its Connexions service and is participating in the Adult Skills Fund Pathways to Devolution pilot. This will help strengthen local approaches to supporting young people into education, employment and training. Locally, Leicester College’s Launchpad programme supports young people furthest from the labour market.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of students who have been asked to leave university due to unpaid fees.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Tuition fee loans ensure that higher education (HE) is effectively free at the point of entry for eligible students, removing the need for upfront payment of tuition fees.

Approved (fee cap) HE providers in England are subject to maximum fee limits set in regulations.

Eligible students studying undergraduate courses at these providers in England can apply for tuition fee loans to cover the full regulated tuition fees charged.

Tuition fee loans are paid directly to providers by the Student Loans Company. This removes the need for eligible students to pay regulated tuition fees upfront.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2026, to Question 13153, on Erasmus+ Programme, whether the UK Government or British Council would be liable for any financial corrections as a result of grant reductions for breaches of the Erasmus+ obligations.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Any grant reduction will be calculated for each beneficiary and must be proportionate to the seriousness and duration of the breach of obligations. Where the beneficiary has received more funding than the reduced grant amount, there will have been an overpayment and recovery of such overpaid funds may take place. For Erasmus+ actions under indirect management, each beneficiary enters into a grant agreement with the UK National Agency and is liable to comply with its terms, including any obligation to repay overpaid sums to the National Agency. The National Agency will apply the recovery procedures set out in the relevant grant agreement to recover those funds from the beneficiary. Article 26(10) of the Erasmus+ Regulation is available here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/817/oj/eng/. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, as National Authority, is responsible for proper management of EU funding received by the National Agency and would be liable to the European Commission for funds not recovered in the circumstances set out in Article 26(11).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her department has made of annual taxpayer write-offs resulting from unrecovered student loan debt issued to non-UK citizens.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The total amount written off from unrecovered student loan debt issued to borrowers who were non-UK nationals in the 2025/26 financial year was £29 million, to the nearest million, of which 82% was written off due to death of the borrower or the borrower reaching 65 years of age.

An additional £40 million was written off in loans to borrowers of unknown nationality, which could be UK or non-UK nationals. The nationality of all borrowers is checked and validated during the application process. There are a small number of records listed as ‘unknown’, mainly in postgraduate borrower records, which reflect legacy data quality issues in this field in older loan records

The reasons for cancelled or written-off loans include statutory cancellations and write-offs (including those arising from the age of the borrower and eligible Access to Higher Education loan write-offs), death of the borrower, disability, trivial balances and losses through fraud (including phishing).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will issue guidance to secondary schools on how to support students starting year 10 in 2027 who want a technical or vocational education ahead of the 2028 introduction date.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Our ambition is to give every young person access to high-quality academic and technical education pathways from age 14 and to support progression into further study, training and skilled employment. We recognise that having access to high-quality vocational qualifications at school, alongside a strong academic core, is essential to help pupils consider the range of post-16 pathways available.

Schools are free to decide which qualifications they will offer in each subject they teach. However, as part of their duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, schools are expected to offer a range of subject options to help meet the aspirations of all pupils.

There are a range of Level 1 and 2 Technical Awards already available, which can be found in the 2027 performance tables list, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-4-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many EU national student loan borrowers living abroad have made no loan repayments in the past 12 months.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

There are 103,400 EU borrowers living overseas who have a loan which has become eligible for repayment. Of these, 43,700 are earning above the repayment threshold or have unknown earnings but have made no loan repayments in the last 12 months.

An EU borrower is a borrower who was originally domiciled in an EU country prior to entering higher education in England. Tuition fee funding for new EU students in England without ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status’ ceased in the 2021/2022 academic year. However, those continuing a course remain eligible for financial support for the duration of their course, in addition to those covered by the Withdrawal Agreements, subject to meeting other residency and course requirements.

The government is resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and we are taking firm action to address serious concerns about the exploitation of the student funding system.

If borrowers based overseas fail to remain in contact with the Student Loans Company (SLC), they are placed in arrears by SLC applying a default required repayment rate, and the outstanding balance can be pursued as debt.

The public expects these debts to be paid and so do we. That is why we are investing in the SLC’s ability to collect debt and working closely with them to go further on getting back what is owed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to large employers launching work experience initiatives to ensure that placements are paired with formal qualifications or skills accreditation.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

T Levels are the flagship technical qualification for 16 to 19-year-olds and include a mandatory industry placement. These placements provide students with substantial, high-quality, hands‑on experience to develop the skills needed for future employment. Departmental guidance supports providers and employers to design placements with learning goals linked to curriculum content, enabling students to apply the skills and knowledge gained through their qualification. Guidance is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/t-level-industry-placements-guidance-for-providers.

The department also provides a national programme of support to help employers deliver high-quality industry placements, including workshops, webinars and practical online guidance. Further details can be found at: https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb.

In addition, the government is introducing new technical educational routes from age 14. These new pathways will combine high-quality vocational qualifications alongside GCSEs, careers guidance and meaningful work experience opportunities. The department will work closely with the Careers & Enterprise Company to provide guidance for employers on offering high-quality work experience placements aligned with these pathways.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what oversight and regulation is in place for private adult skills education providers in England.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department oversees independent training providers that receive government funding through funding agreements and contracts. This oversight is proportionate and risk-based, and considers financial resilience, governance, quality of provision, safeguarding and learner protection.

The department monitors providers using a range of information, including funding data, financial information, audit activity, complaints, whistleblowing reports and inspection outcomes. Where concerns arise, the department can use contractual powers to impose additional conditions, restrict new learner recruitment, withhold funding or terminate agreements.

Funded providers must comply with relevant funding rules and financial management requirements and, where applicable, are subject to Ofsted inspection.

Responsibility for the Adult Skills Fund is devolved in parts of England, where mayoral combined authorities and the Greater London Authority oversee providers receiving that funding. Elsewhere, departmental oversight arrangements apply.

Private adult skills providers that do not receive government funding are not subject to these contractual controls but must comply with relevant legal and regulatory requirements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Further Education residential funding guidelines.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The guidance for the Residential Bursary Fund (RBF) is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/residential-support-scheme-guide/residential-support-scheme-2026-to-2027. In addition, the guidance for the Residential Support Scheme (RSS) is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/residential-bursary-fund-guide. This guidance is updated annually and outlines the opportunities available to people aged 16 to 19.

The RBF provides a contribution to eligible 16 to19-year-old student’s accommodation costs to support attendance at an institution delivering specialist provision.

The RSS can provide annual support of up to £3,458 (up to £4,079 in the London area) towards accommodation costs for students who live away from home because the same or similar level 2 or level 3 qualifications within their study programme are not available within daily travelling distance. Most students supported by RSS tend to live in rural areas and have limited access to a wide range of 16 to 19 further education provision.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure universities provide students with marks and degree classifications in a timely manner.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous and the department has no legal remit to determine how providers operate, including their timescales for issuing marks and degree classifications.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the regulator for HE providers. The OfS sets conditions of registration with expectations that providers should deliver what was promised to students.

If delays to the issuing of marks or degree classifications are inconsistent with published commitments, the provider could be in breach of consumer protection law. In these instances, students can make a complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. Further details are available at: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/students/how-to-complain-to-us/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of non-UK nationals received student finance in the 2024–25 academic year were qualified for support on the basis of holding pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, broken down by (a) pre-settled status, (b) settled status and (c) EU family member status.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is not able to provide the requested data on pre-settled status, settled status and status related to an EU family member in the required timescale.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) holds data on the residency category under which the borrower is eligible for funding. However, these are not held in a format which can be readily and robustly reported in the requested breakdowns. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided in this area. Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions in required timescales.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to protect the sustainability of specialist STEM subjects at universities facing financial pressure.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Higher education (HE) providers are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their finances. Nevertheless, this government remains committed to creating a secure future for our HE sector, so it can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy.

We continue to provide funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) annually to support teaching and students in HE. This includes funding to support expensive-to-deliver subjects, access and participation, and world-leading specialist providers. For the 2026/27 academic year, over two-thirds of the £1,252 million SPG recurrent (programme) budget has been allocated to providers to support the provision of high-cost subjects, for example medicine, dentistry, science, engineering and technology.

More broadly, the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out the government’s commitment to placing the sector on a more sustainable footing, by supporting providers to drive efficiency, strengthen financial resilience and adopt more effective operating models.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the UK is participating as a (i) partial or (ii) full member of the (a) European School Education Platform (ESEP) and eTwinning, (b) Electronic Platform for Adult Learning (EPALE), (c) Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering the use of Innovative Educational technologies (SELFIE), (d) European Youth Portal, (e) European Student Card Initiative, (f) Eurydice network, (g) Youth Wiki National Correspondents Network and (h) Network of Higher Education Reform Experts (HEREs); and whether there are any affiliation costs over and above the main UK Government funding to the EU for the whole Erasmus+ programme.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

There are several bodies, including resource centres, information offices, platforms, and knowledge and expert networks, which support the implementation of the Erasmus+ programme. The UK is not required to pay any further affiliation costs to the EU to engage with these bodies.

Participation in any opt-in Erasmus+ bodies, including those listed, will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure secondary school pupils have unrestricted access to clean, safe toilet facilities.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department expects all schools to provide pupils with access to clean, safe and suitable toilet facilities that support their health and welfare. The School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 require schools to provide adequate toilet and washing facilities, including separate toilets for boys and girls aged eight and over, except where individual lockable toilets are provided. It is for school leaders to manage the day-to-day operation of their schools, including arrangements for pupils’ access to toilet facilities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has been made of the annual cost to UK higher educational institutions of allowing EU students to pay home tuition fees.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government has not agreed to reduce tuition costs for EU students. However, we know that there is interest in the EU about greater access to the UK higher education sector. That is not surprising given the world-class institutions we have here. Naturally, we want to continue to attract the very best talent, including EU students, to the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has been made of the current (a) yearly and (b) cumulative value of unpaid and defaulted student loans held by EU students.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As of 30 August 2026, the value of student loans held by EU borrowers whose loans have become liable for repayment which are in arrears is £360 million (to the nearest million). The department is not able to provide this figure broken down by year, as Student Loan Company systems do not maintain a historical year-by-year view of arrears values.

An EU borrower is a borrower who was originally domiciled in an EU country prior to entering higher education in England. Tuition fee funding for new EU students in England without 'settled' or 'pre-settled' status ceased in the 2021/22 academic year. However, those continuing a course remain eligible for financial support for the duration of their course, in addition to those covered by the Withdrawal Agreements, subject to meeting other residency and course requirements.

A loan becomes liable for repayment when the borrower has passed their statutory repayment due date. This is the normally the April after graduating or otherwise leaving their course, provided they are earning above the relevant income threshold.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Plan 2 student loan interest rates, particularly for graduates from less advantaged backgrounds; and whether she is considering further reforms.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government recognises that graduates are concerned about the level of interest applied to their student loans.

Student loan repayments are based on earnings rather than the amount borrowed or the interest accrued. For lower-earning borrowers, interest rates do not affect monthly repayment amounts and borrowers will only repay when their income exceeds the relevant repayment threshold. Any remaining balance, including interest, is written off after 30 years.

It is important that we maintain a sustainable student finance system that is fair to taxpayers while continuing to support access to higher education for students from all backgrounds. To this end, the government keeps all aspects of the student finance system, including student loan interest rates, under review.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is at an early stage in her tenure and will continue to consider the concerns that have been raised regarding Plan 2 student loans.

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