Oral Answers to Questions

Cat Smith Excerpts

Monday 24th October 2022 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

1. What steps he is taking to help support students with the cost of living.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Kit Malthouse)]

My Department continues to work with the Office for Students to ensure that universities support students in hardship by drawing on the £261 million student premium.

[Cat Smith]

I have been hearing from students from the University of Lancaster and the University of Cumbria, and I share the concerns of the organisation MillionPlus, whose report “Learning with the lights off” highlights the difficulties that around 300,000 students are facing. Has the Secretary of State seen the report, and will he meet me and representatives of MillionPlus to discuss how the report’s recommendations on bringing immediate grant support to students could be implemented by his Government?

[Kit Malthouse]

I am afraid that I have not yet seen the report, but I will ask my team to dig it out and give it a look over. If the hon. Lady has specific issues that she wants to raise, I will be more than happy to meet her. Alongside the significant funding that we are putting into the student premium to deal with hardship in the student body, many students who are not living in halls of residence or other tied accommodation will benefit from the wider cost of living package that the Government have put together.