Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of SCS2 civil servants on full-time contracts in her Department are women.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
As of the 31 of October 2023, the proportion of officials in the Department that are graded as senior civil servant 2 and are women on full time equivalent contracts is 64.9%. This figure was calculated by dividing the number of women at senior civil servant 2 grade on full time contracts by the total number of staff at senior civil servant 2 grade on full time contracts. This figure includes the Department, as well as its executive agencies – Education and Skills Funding Agency, Teaching Regulation Agency, Standard and Testing Agency.
The official public sector employment statistics published in June 2023 by the Office for National Statistics include data on the proportion of staff on temporary contracts who are women. These figures can be accessed at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable.
In 2022/23, more than half of new entrants to the civil service were women (54.1%). In 2021/22, 51.6% of new entrants and 53.9% of promotions to the senior civil service were women.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of civil servants on temporary contracts in her Department are women.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
As of the 31 of October 2023, the proportion of officials in the Department that are graded as senior civil servant 2 and are women on full time equivalent contracts is 64.9%. This figure was calculated by dividing the number of women at senior civil servant 2 grade on full time contracts by the total number of staff at senior civil servant 2 grade on full time contracts. This figure includes the Department, as well as its executive agencies – Education and Skills Funding Agency, Teaching Regulation Agency, Standard and Testing Agency.
The official public sector employment statistics published in June 2023 by the Office for National Statistics include data on the proportion of staff on temporary contracts who are women. These figures can be accessed at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable.
In 2022/23, more than half of new entrants to the civil service were women (54.1%). In 2021/22, 51.6% of new entrants and 53.9% of promotions to the senior civil service were women.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the number of students studying for a degree in video games.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector. The video games industry trade body Ukie has estimated the value of the consumer games market at £7.16 billion in 2021, more than doubling in value since 2013.
Through the Strategic Priorities Grant, the department is providing funding on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education, including expensive to deliver subjects, such as video game degrees and science and engineering more widely.
The department is investing an additional £750 million over the next three years to support high quality teaching and facilities including in science and engineering. This includes £450 million in capital funding to invest in teaching and learning facilities.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Minister of State for Higher and Further Education plans to respond to the letter of 9 February 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow North West on arranging a meeting to discuss the situation of the Afghan Chevening Scholars.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
In response to the letter dated 9 February 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow North West, a diary invitation has been sent.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions the Government had the Scottish Government on the policy to limit the number of English-domiciled students studying at Scottish universities prior to the announcement of that policy on 1 June 2020.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I have regular meetings with Scottish ministers, and ministers from all the devolved administrations, about higher education issues. Meetings have included discussions on the development of student number controls policy.
Officials in the department also have regular meetings and discussions with their counterparts. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, we will continue to work closely with the devolved administrations on strengthening and stabilising the higher education system.
Student number controls for institutions in the devolved administrations only apply to the number of English-domiciled entrants who will be supported with their tuition fees through the Student Loans Company. The funding of English-domiciled students is not a devolved matter, and it is right and fair that this policy should apply consistently wherever they are studying in the UK.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of changes in the level of international students numbers on the higher education sector.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
In the 2018/19 academic year, tuition fees from international students at UK higher education providers accounted for around £7 billion of sector income. The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unparalleled impact on all elements of the global and UK economy. The higher education sector, including student recruitment, is no exception. We have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts of COVID-19 on international student numbers, including restrictions on travel. We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak and a possible reduction in the number of international students poses significant challenges and we stand ready to help the sector with various mitigations.
The government is working to ensure that existing rules and regulations, including visa regulations, are as flexible as possible for international students under these unprecedented circumstances. Higher education providers will also be flexible in accommodating applicants’ circumstances where possible, including if applicants are unable to travel to the UK in time for the start of the academic year.
On Monday 4 May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn and ensure sustainability in higher education at a time of unprecedented uncertainty. I wrote to all hon. Members on 4 May with full details of the package, which have also been published on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students.
The new graduate route, due to be launched in summer 2021, provides an opportunity for international students who have been awarded their degree to stay and work in the UK at any skill level for 2 years. This represents a significant improvement in our offer to international students and will help to ensure that our world-leading higher education sector remains competitive internationally.
On Friday 5 June, the Department for Education announced Sir Steve Smith as the International Education Champion, a key deliverable of the 2019 International Education Strategy. Sir Steve will assist with opening up export growth opportunities for the whole UK education sector, tackling international challenges such as those posed to attracting international students and forging lasting global connections. The International Education Strategy,?published in March 2019 by the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade, set out a commitment to review progress following its publication.??The review, which we intend to publish this autumn, will?ensure that the International Education Strategy?responds to this new context and the challenges that are?posed.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the planned replacement Erasmus+ scheme for 2020-21 in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal will be open to all students across the UK that would have previously been eligible.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The government places great value upon international exchange and collaboration in education and training. This will continue to be the case after we leave the EU and establish new relationships with academic institutions across Europe and the rest of the world.
If it is in the UK’s interest, we will seek to participate in some specific EU programmes as a third country. The draft political declaration envisages the possibility of UK participation in EU programmes like Erasmus+ and the negotiation of general terms of participation. However, my officials are preparing for all eventualities, including no deal, and they are considering a wide range of options with regard to the future of international exchange. These include potential domestic alternatives to the Erasmus+ programme for the 2020/21 academic year and beyond, should we need them.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the implications for her Department's policies are of the findings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies of 4 July 2017 on the comparative effect of the removal of the maintenance grant on levels of debt from students from poorer and richer families.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university at a record rate – they were 43 per cent more likely to go to university in 2016 than they were in 2009.
The Government is committed to maintaining the UK’s world class higher education system while living within its means and ensuring all those with the talent to benefit from a higher education can afford to do so. To put higher education funding onto a more sustainable footing, the Government asked future graduates to meet more of the costs of their studies through replacing maintenance grants with loans.
The equality analysis for the 2016/17 student support regulations assessed the impact of this policy change, including the impact on students from low income backgrounds. It is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482110/bis-15-639-student-finance-equality-analysis.pdf.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to ensure STEM-qualified teachers are exempt from the £35,000 income threshold for settlement for non-EU workers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016, Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. Secondary education teachers from non-EU countries in the subjects of mathematics, chemistry and physics are on the shortage occupation list and thus are exempt from the £35,000 threshold.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure schools continue to recruit and retain non-EU nationals in STEM subjects who do not meet the £35,000 income threshold for settlement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016, Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. Secondary education teachers from non-EU countries in the subjects of mathematics, chemistry and physics are on the shortage occupation list and thus are exempt from the £35,000 threshold.