Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure disadvantaged students have access to the financial support they need to remain in university.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department wants to support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background, where they live and their personal circumstances.
The government has increased maximum loans for living costs by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year, in line with forecast RPIX inflation. The government also provides means-tested non-repayable grants to low-income full-time students with children and adults who are financially dependent on them. Students with disabilities can apply for non-means tested disabled students’ allowance to support additional disability-related study costs. For the 2025/26 academic year, maximum dependants’ grants and disabled students’ allowance are being increased by 3.1%.
Student Premium funding rates that are available through the Strategic Priorities Grant are being maintained for 2025/26 to support successful outcomes for students. All English higher education providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan approved by the OfS.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the average difference between (a) maintenance loan and (b) living costs for university students.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Through the student loan system, the highest levels of maintenance support are paid to students from the lowest income families, while those from more affluent families receive a smaller contribution towards their living costs. In addition to support for living costs from Student Finance England, students may be eligible for additional financial assistance from their university.
The Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2021/22 reported on the average living costs for full-time and part-time English undergraduate students and across different demographic groups for the 2021/22 academic year. The survey, including all income and expenditure tables, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-income-and-expenditure-survey-2021-to-2022.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to review the thresholds for maintenance loans.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises the impact that the cost-of-living crisis has had on students. However, we need to ensure that the student funding system is financially sustainable.
The government has increased maximum loans for living costs for full-time and part-time undergraduate students by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year. A 3.1% increase is in line with forecast inflation based on the RPIX inflation index.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what additional powers the English Devolution White Paper will provide to local authorities to prevent the proliferation of Adult Gaming Centres on high streets.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government is considering how to best ensure that local authorities have the right tools and powers to manage the location and density of gambling outlets in their areas. In line with the commitments made in the Gambling White Paper, we will introduce Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing, when Parliamentary time allows. This will allow local authorities to take data-driven decisions on premises licences, particularly in areas that have been identified as being vulnerable to gambling-related harm. This will give local authorities greater control over the number of gambling outlets in their areas, helping to ensure a healthy mix of premises on their high streets.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to prevent the proliferation of Adult Gaming Centres on high streets.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government is considering how to best ensure that local authorities have the right tools and powers to manage the location and density of gambling outlets in their areas. In line with the commitments made in the Gambling White Paper, we will introduce Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing, when Parliamentary time allows. This will allow local authorities to take data-driven decisions on premises licences, particularly in areas that have been identified as being vulnerable to gambling-related harm. This will give local authorities greater control over the number of gambling outlets in their areas, helping to ensure a healthy mix of premises on their high streets.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to press release entitled Young Futures Hubs to launch offering vulnerable young people lifeline, published on 15 July 2025, whether her Department is now leading on the design and implementation of Young Futures Hubs; and which other departments are involved in discussions.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to rolling out a network of Young Futures Hubs. These will bring together services to help improve children and young people’s access to support to reduce crime and improve mental health and careers opportunities.
The design and implementation of hubs is a cross-government endeavour. Expertise has been brought together from across departments, particularly the Department for Education, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Home Office, Department of Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice and Department for Work and Pensions, to deliver on this manifesto commitment.
The government will be engaging with national and local partners, local communities and children and young people to explore options for the design and delivery of the hubs, ahead of the first hubs becoming operational this year.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department will set out details of future funding for the training of educational psychologists beyond 2026-27.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The department is investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists, starting their training in September 2024 and September 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023. As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support local authority educational psychology services, including contributing to statutory assessments.
Funding for future training is subject to confirmation following the spending review process.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding will be provided for the training of educational psychologists in 2026-27.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The department is investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists, starting their training in September 2024 and September 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023. As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support local authority educational psychology services, including contributing to statutory assessments.
Funding for future training is subject to confirmation following the spending review process.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Young Futures Hubs to launch offering vulnerable young people lifeline, published on 15 July 2025, when she plans to publish details of the local areas chosen to be early adopters of this programme.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To roll out Young Futures Hubs, we will first establish eight early adopter hubs supported by £2 million in this financial year. These, and work with local areas, will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of Young Futures Hubs. We will announce these eight areas later in the year.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the market impact assessment for the Oak National Academy will be published alongside the independent review findings.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is currently considering the findings of the independent review and market impact assessment of Oak National Academy. Both the findings of the review and the market impact assessment will be published in due course.