Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (FAD) as a pathway (1) into creative higher education, and (2) meeting the skills needs of the creative industries; and what assessment they have made of the impact of not exempting the FAD from level 3 qualification reforms.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department intends to develop V Levels in the creative sectors for first-teach in 2030/31. We will carefully balance the introduction of new qualifications with removal of funding approval from unreformed qualifications to avoid gaps in provision.

Following the expected completion of our post-16 pathways qualification reforms by September 2030, students will have a clear choice between A Levels, V Levels and T Levels at level 3. The equalities impact assessment published alongside the government response to the Post-16 Level 3 and below pathways consultation sets out our analysis of impacts split by protected characteristics and anticipates positive impacts for students from clearer choices and progression routes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of level 3 qualifications reform on the opportunities for young people to develop the creative and transversal skills needed to support the UK's creative industries.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our qualifications reform programme is designed to ensure that all students have a clear post-16 choice and can progress to positive, sustained destinations. T Levels are based on employer-designed standards and include a 45-day industry placement on every course. They are already demonstrating excellent outcomes, with over 90% of students going onto work or further study. We are expanding T Levels in sector subject areas including creative, so that more students can benefit from these strong progression opportunities.

We also intend to develop V Levels in creative sectors for first teaching in 2030/31, providing a high-quality option for students who want to study a vocational qualification in a creative discipline as part of a mixed programme, supporting clear progression into higher-level study or apprenticeships.

In developing these new qualifications, we are conducting extensive engagement with employers, providers, higher education institutions and key sector stakeholders including the Creative Industries Council, to ensure they support a strong and inclusive talent pipeline into the creative industries.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts in Strategic Priorities Grant funding on (1) creative higher education, and (2) specialist institutions teaching creative higher education.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We recognise the important role creative and cultural subjects play in supporting jobs, growth and the UK's world-leading creative industries, and the unique role that specialist institutions have in ensuring a diverse higher education (HE) landscape that offers students choice. This is why we have increased tuition fees, and ensured that they will be aligned to inflation, helping maintain the long-term sustainability and quality of HE provision.

Funding allocations through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) are determined annually by the Office for Students (OfS), informed by a guidance letter issued by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. The guidance letter setting out the Secretary of State’s priorities for 2026/27 will be sent to the Office for Students in due course.

The Office for Students is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the sector’s financial sustainability, and we work closely with them to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape.

Provider level allocations for the forthcoming academic year will be published by the OfS later this year.