Oral Answers to Questions

Claire Coutinho Excerpts

Monday 14th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Our family hubs programme is being developed in 75 local authorities, over and above the 12 in which the programme is already being rolled out, bringing together services for children of all ages and responding to the needs of the whole family. At its core is the Start for Life offer, which includes support for perinatal mental health and breastfeeding, as well parenting programmes. On top of that, there is the £200 million expansion to the Supporting Families programme. I understand that the Secretary of State is visiting my hon. Friend’s constituency in the coming weeks.

[Claire Coutinho (East Surrey) (Con)]

19. What steps his Department is taking to prioritise improving the quality of higher education.

[Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con)]

20. What steps his Department is taking to prioritise improving the quality of higher education.

[The Minister for Higher and Further Education (Michelle Donelan)]

For the first time ever, the Office for Students is setting minimum thresholds for completion and for progression rates to graduate jobs. We are also consulting on stopping the uncontrolled growth of low-quality courses.

[Claire Coutinho]

The hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington (Matt Western) suggested that it was an injustice to introduce minimum requirements for going to university, but does the Minister agree with me that the greater injustice is that one in five students feels that their course did not add any value to their career? Moreover, the reforms to interest rates will now mean that nobody will pay more than they borrow in real terms.

[Michelle Donelan]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. From September 2023, we are reducing interest rates on student loans to the retail price index only. This, combined with the tuition fee freeze for over seven years, means that students can graduate with up to £11,500 less debt from the off.