Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent fiscal assessment she has made of the value to GDP that international students bring to the UK economy per year.
Answered by Robert Halfon
International students make a significant economic and cultural contribution to the UK’s higher education (HE) sector. We have met our International Education Strategy ambition to attract at least 600,000 international students for the second consecutive year.
International students have a major economic impact in the UK through their spending on tuition fees and living expenditure. Statistics published by the department show that in 2020, total revenue from education related exports and transnational education activity was £25.6 billion, with the total revenue from HE being £19.5 billion. This data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/uk-revenue-from-education-related-exports-and-transnational-education-activity/2020.
London Economics have calculated the net economic impact of international students to the UK economy, taking into account not just the value of spending by international students, but also indirect effects, and the spending of friends and families visiting international students. It also takes into account the costs to my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer associated with teaching and supporting international students and the costs of providing public services, such as healthcare, to international students and their dependants. They estimate that for the 2018/19 cohort, the net economic impact of international students to the UK was an estimated £25.9 billion, representing around £95,000 per ‘typical’ international student. This figure does not include other sources of value that international students bring to the UK, such as tax revenues, improved longer-term trade and investment links and wider cultural and social benefits. The report can be found at: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2021/09/09/the-costs-and-benefits-of-international-higher-education-students-to-the-uk-economy/#:~:text=The%20costs%20and%20benefits%20of%20international%20higher%20education,public%20services%2C%20which%20are%20put%20at%20%C2%A32.9%20billion.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that the financial requirement threshold for international students applying for a Student Route Visa does not discriminate against those from low-income countries or regions.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
To access the Student route, international students must demonstrate in their application they meet the requirements of the route, including their ability to financially support themselves throughout their stay in the UK, unless differentiation arrangements apply.
The addition or removal of countries and competent authorities to the list of differentiated nationals is based on objective data. We keep the list of differentiated nationals under review, adding and removing countries and competent authorities from this list.
An Impact Assessment was prepared to accompany the launch of the Student route. This can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/916601/IA_-_students.pdf
We keep our immigration policies under constant review to ensure they reflect our priorities and ensure we have a system that works in the UK’s best interests.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the financial requirement threshold for international student applications to higher education institutes.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
To access the Student route, international students must demonstrate in their application they meet the requirements of the route, including their ability to financially support themselves throughout their stay in the UK, unless differentiation arrangements apply.
The addition or removal of countries and competent authorities to the list of differentiated nationals is based on objective data. We keep the list of differentiated nationals under review, adding and removing countries and competent authorities from this list.
An Impact Assessment was prepared to accompany the launch of the Student route. This can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/916601/IA_-_students.pdf
We keep our immigration policies under constant review to ensure they reflect our priorities and ensure we have a system that works in the UK’s best interests.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the financial requirement threshold on international students from (a) lower-income countries and (b) countries not on the Government’s list of countries exempting students from proving the financial requirement threshold.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
To access the Student route, international students must demonstrate in their application they meet the requirements of the route, including their ability to financially support themselves throughout their stay in the UK, unless differentiation arrangements apply.
The addition or removal of countries and competent authorities to the list of differentiated nationals is based on objective data. We keep the list of differentiated nationals under review, adding and removing countries and competent authorities from this list.
An Impact Assessment was prepared to accompany the launch of the Student route. This can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/916601/IA_-_students.pdf
We keep our immigration policies under constant review to ensure they reflect our priorities and ensure we have a system that works in the UK’s best interests.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what basis is the financial requirement threshold for Student Route Visas reviewed; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
To access the Student route, international students must demonstrate in their application they meet the requirements of the route, including their ability to financially support themselves throughout their stay in the UK, unless differentiation arrangements apply.
The addition or removal of countries and competent authorities to the list of differentiated nationals is based on objective data. We keep the list of differentiated nationals under review, adding and removing countries and competent authorities from this list.
An Impact Assessment was prepared to accompany the launch of the Student route. This can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/916601/IA_-_students.pdf
We keep our immigration policies under constant review to ensure they reflect our priorities and ensure we have a system that works in the UK’s best interests.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Personnel figures published on 22 March 2023, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve the working conditions and (b) retain personnel in the armed forces.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is examining our Service personnel's terms and conditions under the 'Haythornthwaite Review of Armed Forces Incentivisation'. This review builds on significant modernisation and improvement to working conditions which has already been made in recent years, including the expansion of flexible working policies and the introduction of wraparound childcare.
The MOD recognises that reforming and enhancing our working conditions also improves retention by expanding further on our already strong offer. Measures to attract and retain personnel include a competitive salary, a non-contributary pension (the last such major scheme in the public sector), subsidised accommodation, a range of allowances on top of basic salary, strong career and progression prospects, and training and development opportunities.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the financial cost is to the National Health Service of a single abnormal cell change test when testing for human papillomavirus in England.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
This information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the average cost of a smear test for human papillomavirus.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
This information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent estimate of the costs of the various clinical methods to test for human papillomavirus.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
This information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department has made a recent estimate of the cost of checking for human papillomavirus using (a) smear testing and (b) the human papillomavirus test.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
This information requested is not held centrally.