Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with (a) local authorities and (b) universities on ensuring universities are included in local growth plans.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has announced five priorities to reform higher education (HE), with stronger contribution to economic growth as one of these priorities. As part of the work to develop a plan for HE reform, the department has been engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including mayoral strategic authorities. We are also engaging with HE mission groups and representative bodies on local growth plans and HE reform more broadly.
The department sees HE playing a key role in the government’s emerging vision for the wider skills system. HE is critical to the delivery of the industrial strategy and the government’s missions on opportunity and growth. Local Growth Plans will be locally owned, long-term strategic plans for how mayors will use devolved levers and powers to support the national growth mission and help deliver the Industrial Strategy. As the local leaders who know their areas best, they will be engaging relevant stakeholders as they develop and deliver their plans.
HE will also play a critical role in the wider vision for national renewal training our future workforce, including doctors, nurses, and teachers and playing a stronger civic role in local communities.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that Hong Kong students do not experience Chinese (a) interference, (b) influence, (c) harassment and (d) repression whilst studying on UK campuses.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The UK welcomes international students, including from China, who make a very positive impact on the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole. We will always protect our national security, human rights and values.
The first duty of the government is to keep the country safe, and we are committed to responding to foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression. Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK, will not be tolerated. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station or 999 in emergencies. As autonomous institutions, the department also expects universities to have robust processes in place to prevent and tackle incidents of harassment and abuse on campus.
The department is taking specific steps to ensure our world-leading universities remain free from foreign interference. This includes the implementation of the new complaints scheme in the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act 2023, which will offer a focussed route for concerns, including relating to foreign interference in academic freedom and free speech, to be escalated.
The department is continuing to work closely with the sector to increase their understanding of the risks and their ability to respond. We are conducting an internal review, informed by engagement with the regulator, sector, academics impacted by foreign interference and international partners, to assess existing approaches to managing the risk of foreign interference and what more support they might need.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the contribution of degree apprenticeships to the delivery of skills needs (a) locally, (b) in the East Midlands and (c) nationally.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The latest figures for the 2023/24 academic year show there have been 44,060 apprenticeship starts at degree level, including 3,540 in the East Midlands.
Degree apprenticeships can provide school leavers and older learners alternative routes into degree level professions, which supports diversity and inclusion.
The department will work with Skills England to ensure that degree apprenticeships continue to offer good value for money and drive economic growth.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many private schools closed in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) upper tier local authority in England between 11 May 2010 and 5 July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
1102 private schools closed between 11 May 2010 and 5 July 2024.
The data in the attached table breaks this down into a) Parliamentary constituency and b) Upper tier local authority in England.