Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support students living in London, particularly in regard to (1) high housing costs, and (2) the rising cost of living.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The government recognises the cost-of-living pressures experienced by many students, and that those pressures may be more acute for students living in London, due in particular to higher housing costs.
To help break down barriers to opportunity for young people who want to attend university, the department is increasing maximum loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation, so that more support is targeted at students from the lowest income families. This will give full-time undergraduate students from the lowest income homes, who are living away from home and studying in London, an additional £414 per year in support through the higher London rate of loan for living costs.
Since universities and student landlords are autonomous and independent from government, the department has no remit to intervene directly in the student housing market. However, since 2006, the Student Accommodation Codes of Practice have protected the interests of students to ensure standards are maintained and disputes are resolved promptly. The Code sets out clearly what information relating to fees and deposits should be made available to students and offers a route for students to raise complaints about accommodation providers. Information on the Codes can be found here: https://www.thesac.org.uk/the-code.
The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability is to increase housing supply, which is why the government is committing to building 1.5 million homes this Parliament. The Renters’ Rights Bill also works to strengthen tenants’ rights as a whole. Stronger powers to challenge excessive rent hikes complement the practical steps taken to help renters by ending unfair bidding wars and tackling rental discrimination.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Do Adults Have the Skills They Need to Thrive in a Changing World?, published on 10 December; and of its statement that more than one in three employees aged over 25 in England is overqualified for their current role.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department welcomes the report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and will continue to reflect on its findings. The report offers crucial insights into how adult skills have changed since 2012, when England last participated.
These insights will support the government in the change it wants to deliver for the skills system. Last week, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, set out the ambitious milestones the government aims to reach by the end of this Parliament. Pledges include growing the economy, building an NHS fit for the future, making streets safer, opportunities for all and making Britain a clean energy superpower.
A skilled workforce is a crucial enabler to achieving these changes, which is why the department has committed to bring forward a comprehensive strategy for post-16 education and skills to help deliver the department’s Plan for Change. We are also establishing Skills England, to consider the system as a whole with greater coordination to stimulate growth. The Skills England report, which was published in September 2024, echoed similar findings to this OECD report, including the substantial impacts skills mismatches have on individuals, businesses, and the economy. The Skills England report is attached and can also be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66ffd4fce84ae1fd8592ee37/Skills_England_Report.pdf.
The department wants to develop a culture of lifelong learning, and this report shows that we can and must do more to ensure everyone has the skills they need for life.
There are few skills more important to life chances than literacy and numeracy. Whilst England has improved, the number of adults with low literacy and numeracy skills remains far too high.
This government is committing to raising literacy and numeracy levels, including through the English and mathematics Condition of Funding policy, which enables all students on 16 to 19 study programmes or T Levels who have not yet attained grade 4+ GCSE, or equivalent, in English and mathematics to access support that leads to the best outcomes for them. Further measures include the essential skills legal entitlements, providing free study funded through the Adult Skills Fund for eligible adults who do not have essential literacy and numeracy skills up to level 2.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address any shortage in AI-specific skills.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
This government is committed to ensuring both learners and employers have access to the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills critical to our Opportunity and Growth Missions. To achieve this, we will build a responsive skills system, coordinated through Skills England, to deliver on the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade.
The department has already provided a range of post 16 academic and technical qualifications relevant to AI skills. Developed in partnership with employers, there are currently 33 apprenticeship standards spanning levels 3 to 7 in digital occupations, including at degree level and in areas like data analytics and AI.
Learners can study three digital T Levels which include AI content, and there are 77 Higher Technical Qualifications approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers, including AI skills. The majority of Skills Bootcamps are also in the digital sector, with 61% of starts in 2022/23 being in digital.
Within the school system, the department funds the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) to improve the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science at GCSE and A level, across England. To support the teaching of AI, the NCCE delivers a range of courses on machine learning and AI, ethics, and teaching about AI in primary and secondary computing, which are free for teachers in state-funded education in England. The NCCE also facilitates industry-led events for pupils, to raise awareness of digital opportunities and careers in sectors such as Cyber and AI.
The government’s ambition is for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, and ensures every young person gets the opportunity to develop creative, digital and speaking and listening skills particularly prized by employers. To achieve this, the government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy.
The review group ran a call for evidence and held events over the autumn term to gather the views of education professionals and other experts, parents, children and young people, as well as other stakeholders, including employers. The feedback received will help the review group to consider its next steps and recommendations.
Across government, the new Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors in which the UK excels today and will propel it forwards tomorrow. Digital technologies have been identified as one of the eight growth-driving sectors and the department is currently consulting on the barriers to growth, including skills, in this sector. Furthermore, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, has commissioned an AI Opportunities Action Plan which will set out the essential role that equipping the UK’s workforce with the right skills and attracting top talent will play in supporting the growth of the AI sector.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the decline in apprenticeships in recent years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The new government has inherited a context of a declining number of apprenticeship starts. Following reforms to apprenticeships, including the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017, apprenticeship starts by young people under 25 fell by 38% between the 2015/16 and 2022/23 academic years, with an overall decline in starts of 34%.
This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and we want to rebalance opportunities towards young people, who have the most to gain from apprenticeships but who too often have been locked out of accessing these opportunities.
This government’s reformed growth and skills offer, which will have apprenticeships at its core, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, including through shorter duration apprenticeships in targeted sectors. This will help more people learn new high quality skills at work, and fuel innovation in businesses across the UK. The department has also begun work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, a training offer that will give more young people a foot in the door and support clear pathways and progression in work-based training and employment.
The department is also continuing outreach work in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme and targeting young people through the ‘Skills for Life’ campaign.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that rising university tuition fees do not exclude students from the poorest households.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. The student finance system removes upfront financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter higher education (HE) can do so.
Tuition fees will increase in line with inflation for the 2025/26 academic year for new and continuing full-time, part-time and accelerated degree domestic undergraduate students. HE providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees under this level. In deciding to keep charging full fees, providers will want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and help students progress their qualifications.
Eligible students will be able to apply for upfront loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. Student loan borrowers will not see their monthly repayments increase as a result of this change, because monthly repayments depend on earnings, not on interest rates or the amount borrowed. Student loan borrowers are protected. Borrowers only make repayments when earning over the relevant student loan repayment threshold. At the end of the loan term, any outstanding loan debt, including interest accrued, will be written off, with no detriment to the borrower.
Borrowers who would be forecast not to repay their loans in full under the 2024/25 academic year fee and maintenance levels will see no increase to their lifetime student loan repayments.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Ukie report Supercharged: Powering the future of the UK video game and interactive entertainment industry, published on 11 September, what assessment they have made of the recommendation contained in that report to create a new Digital Creativity GCSE.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
To help break down barriers to opportunity, this government will deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, and ensures that all young people get the opportunity to learn digital and creative skills as part of their education. To meet this ambition, the government announced an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. As part of its work, the review will look at whether the current assessment system, including qualification pathways, can be improved for young people aged 5 to 18, while protecting the important role of examinations. The review group has recently launched a call for evidence, which sets out key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome input.
Information about how to respond to the call for evidence, or to register to join a live event, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review. The call for evidence is open until 22 November 2024, and the review will publish its recommendations in 2025. Ministers will then consider any changes to curriculum and qualifications in the light of these recommendations.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate and encourage education in the areas of (1) cybersecurity, and (2) AI-driven skills.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The government’s ambition is for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and maths, and ensures every young person gets the opportunity to develop creative, digital, and speaking and listening skills. To achieve this, the government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, who is an expert in education policy, which will take on board the views of experts, parents, teachers and leaders in making recommendations. The review will consider how children will acquire the key digital skills needed for future life, throughout their educational journey.
This government also provides a range of academic and technical qualifications relevant to cybersecurity and AI skills.
To provide a basis for further study and careers in digital, including in AI and cybersecurity, the computing curriculum ensures that pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. The department has invested significantly in the National Centre for Computing Education to improve the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science at GCSE and A level.
Developed in partnership with employers, there are currently 33 apprenticeship standards spanning Levels 3 to 7 in digital occupations, including at degree level and in areas like cyber and AI. The department’s reformed growth and skills levy will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers and is aligned with its industrial strategy to create routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, including in digital.
Learners can study three Digital T Levels which include cyber and AI content, and there are 77 Higher Technical Qualifications approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers, including cyber and AI skills. Furthermore, the majority of Skills Bootcamps are in the digital sector, with 61% of starts in 2022/23 being in digital.
Across government, the new Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors in which the UK excels today and will propel it forwards tomorrow. Digital technologies have been identified as one of the eight growth-driving sectors and the department is currently consulting on the barriers to growth, including skills, in this sector. Furthermore, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has commissioned an AI Opportunities Action Plan which will set out the essential role that equipping the UK’s workforce with the right skills and attracting top talent will play in supporting the growth of the AI sector.
The government also supports young people to build their tech skills through extracurricular initiatives. For example, the CyberFirst programme delivered by Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the National Cyber Security Centre is designed to help students aged 11 to 25 build their cyber and tech skills through a range of initiatives including competitions, an online gamified learning platform and undergraduate bursaries. The programme is supported by over 250 industry, academia and government partners and has reached over 360,000 students so far.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure sufficient state school places are available following the imposition of VAT on private schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
In line with research from the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies the government does not anticipate the ending of the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy to prompt notable movement into the state sector, and any movement is expected to take place over several years. This research is attached and can also be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending.
There is significant spare capacity in existing state schools. The department collects pupil forecasts and school capacity data from local authorities annually through the school capacity survey and this data shows that in May 2023, 11.7% of primary capacity and 11.5% of secondary capacity was unfilled nationally, meaning school places are available in many parts of the country. The department will monitor demand and capacity using its normal processes and continue to work with local authorities to meet any pressures.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address teacher shortages.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, but we must do more to ensure we have the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country, which is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers with a focus on key shortage subjects.
The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teachers get the pay they deserve, which is why the department has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from this September.
The department wants to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. It is committed to resetting the relationship with the teaching profession. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has already spoken to various stakeholders and teachers working at the front end and continues to do so. The department is now developing the Social Partnership to work more closely with the sector unions to ensure they have a stronger voice on policies that affect their work.
Alongside teacher pay, financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and we are continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £28,000 and scholarships of up to £30,000 in shortage subjects. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, we are also offering a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools.
Recruiting more teachers is a key part of the department’s Opportunity Mission. This government is also committed to tackling long standing retention challenges to ensure teachers stay and thrive in the profession, including by addressing teacher workload and wellbeing, and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. The department has made key resources available to help teachers better manage their workload.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that universities remain and do not close down despite financial difficulties.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to creating a secure future for our world-leading universities so they can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. The government has already started reviewing options to deliver a more robust higher education (HE) sector but it will take time to get it right.
Sir David Behan has been appointed as interim Chair of the Office for Students (OfS) to oversee the important work of refocusing their role to concentrate on key priorities, including prioritising the financial stability of the HE sector.
However, the government recognises the immediate financial strain that some providers are under and is working closely with the OfS to monitor any risks and to ensure students' best interests are protected.
Ultimately, HE providers are independent from the government and therefore it is their responsibility to ensure they have a sustainable business model.