Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the tender for market testing for Home Office English Language Testing services published on 28 August, what is the rationale behind the Home Office decision to tender this service; and what plans the Home Office has to engage and consult (1) other government departments, in particular the Department for Education, and (2) sectors and industries that may be significantly impacted by this policy, before making any decision.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

A person applying under the Immigration Rules for certain visa or citizenship applications may need to show they meet an English Language requirement by passing an approved English Language test. As the contracts delivering these approved tests expire, it is necessary to put new contracts in place. Therefore, work has begun to engage the market on the contract to replace those services. Market engagement, which will support development of the requirements, is ongoing, and OGDs will be engaged as part of the project.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the review of the student finance system, (1) what steps they are taking to reduce opportunities for systemic and organised fraud identified by the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee; and (2) what was the rationale for paying postgraduate master's loans of up to £12,471 directly to students themselves rather than to universities, as is the practice with loans for undergraduate study.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s response to the report from the Public Account Committee (PAC) into student loans issued to those studying at franchised higher education providers was published on 5 September 2024. This is attached and can also be viewed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66d9d2bfe87ad2f12182650e/E03194725_HMT_Treasury_Minutes_Sept_24_Accessible.pdf. The response sets out how the government is implementing the PAC recommendations including greater collaboration between the Department for Education, the Office for Students and the Student Loans Company to tackle risks to public money swiftly and decisively. The response, which also addresses the National Audit Office’s recommendations, confirms that the government intends to consult on proposals to strengthen oversight of partnership delivery in higher education by January 2025.

The postgraduate master’s loan is a contribution to the student’s costs of study. It can be used by students, according to their personal circumstances, to cover tuition fees which may be lower than the amount of the loan, living costs and/or other course related costs. This flexibility would not be available were the loan paid directly to the provider.

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