Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Association of Colleges on narrowing the pay gap between further education college lecturers and school teachers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education (FE) teachers are central to delivering high-quality technical education. Last year, the department announced an additional £190 million for colleges and other 16 to 19 providers for the 2025/26 financial year to support them with key priorities, including recruitment and retention of excellent teachers. This was broadly equivalent to the funding provided to support the pay award in schools. We are providing nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 programme funding for the 2026/27 academic year.
In addition, our targeted retention incentive offer is designed to retain eligible FE teachers in technical subjects with payments of up to £6,000 after tax. In its first year, nearly 6,000 teachers received a payment.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills have regular engagement with FE stakeholders including the Association of Colleges (AoC) on a range of issues, including matters pertaining to funding. The setting and negotiating of FE pay remains a matter for individual colleges in line with their local circumstances and is supported by the National Joint Forum, the AoC’s sectoral bargaining arrangement.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Association of Colleges on the adequacy of further education staff pay levels relative to school teacher pay.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education (FE) teachers are central to delivering high-quality technical education. Last year, the department announced an additional £190 million for colleges and other 16 to 19 providers for the 2025/26 financial year to support them with key priorities, including recruitment and retention of excellent teachers. This was broadly equivalent to the funding provided to support the pay award in schools. We are providing nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 programme funding for the 2026/27 academic year.
In addition, our targeted retention incentive offer is designed to retain eligible FE teachers in technical subjects with payments of up to £6,000 after tax. In its first year, nearly 6,000 teachers received a payment.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills have regular engagement with FE stakeholders including the Association of Colleges (AoC) on a range of issues, including matters pertaining to funding. The setting and negotiating of FE pay remains a matter for individual colleges in line with their local circumstances and is supported by the National Joint Forum, the AoC’s sectoral bargaining arrangement.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to further education colleges to support staff pay awards in the 2026–27 academic year.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education (FE) teachers are central to delivering high-quality technical education. Last year, the department announced an additional £190 million for colleges and other 16 to 19 providers for the 2025/26 financial year to support them with key priorities, including recruitment and retention of excellent teachers. This was broadly equivalent to the funding provided to support the pay award in schools. We are providing nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 programme funding for the 2026/27 academic year.
In addition, our targeted retention incentive offer is designed to retain eligible FE teachers in technical subjects with payments of up to £6,000 after tax. In its first year, nearly 6,000 teachers received a payment.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills have regular engagement with FE stakeholders including the Association of Colleges (AoC) on a range of issues, including matters pertaining to funding. The setting and negotiating of FE pay remains a matter for individual colleges in line with their local circumstances and is supported by the National Joint Forum, the AoC’s sectoral bargaining arrangement.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve recruitment into further education teaching roles in high-demand subject areas.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is taking several steps to improve recruitment into further education (FE) teaching roles, particularly in high-demand subject areas. A key measure is the national ‘Train Others in FE’ recruitment campaign, which raises awareness of FE teaching and promotes the value of industry experience in roles across sectors such as engineering, construction, and digital where there is high demand for teachers. The campaign highlights the opportunity for professionals to transfer their expertise into teaching and inspire future learners.
In addition, the department has expanded support through the Return to Teaching Advisory service, helping former schoolteachers transition into FE. This widens the potential recruitment pool and brings experienced educators back into teaching.
To further help improved recruitment, there are plans to extend the Teaching Vacancies service to include FE roles, making it easier for providers to advertise positions and for candidates to access opportunities. Together, these initiatives aim to increase awareness, improve understanding of FE teaching, and attract a more diverse and skilled workforce.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure a long-term legacy from the National Year of Reading.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The National Year of Reading 2026 aims to make lasting change to the reading habits of the nation to address the decline in reading for pleasure, unlocking one of the most powerful tools for equity and opportunity, a love of reading that lasts a lifetime. The campaign aims for lasting impact by engaging new audiences, making reading relevant, transforming practice, and building infrastructure. For example, we are providing £5 million of funding for secondary schools to purchase books to encourage reading for pleasure.
The National Year of Reading is grounded in both existing evidence and new research, conducted by an external research agency. This is a critical component of the campaign, to ensure it is impactful and meaningful, both during the year and beyond.
There will be an independent external evaluation of the National Year of Reading, to be published in 2027. The evaluation will examine how the campaign influences reading behaviours, connects with audiences and shapes attitudes towards reading, particularly among the campaign’s priority audiences of teenage boys, early years children and families from disadvantaged communities. It will also assess the wider impact on the literacy sector and the foundations for long-term change.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote equality and inclusion as part of the National Year of Reading.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign designed to tackle the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults, and to engage new audiences in reading. It aims to make lasting change to the nation’s reading habits and is for everyone, including adults, children, families and communities, reflecting that the decline in reading enjoyment affects all sectors of society. However, there will be a targeted focus on certain priority groups: boys aged 10 to16, parents from disadvantaged communities, and early years children.
‘Go All In’ is a fully inclusive campaign, encouraging people to read about whatever interests them, through any genre and all mediums of reading, from physical books, to comics, to e-readers. The campaign includes support from a diverse range of authors, celebrities and content creators representing a range of different ages, backgrounds and cultures from communities across the UK. The campaign will reach communities across the UK through schools, libraries, businesses and local partners. Libraries, as free to access community hubs, will play a central role in supporting participation and helping people of all ages and from all sectors of society to develop a lasting love of reading.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to promote the National Year of Reading in a) early years settings, b) primary schools, c) secondary schools, d) further education and e) higher education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment.
It includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout the year. Reading together is one of the most powerful ways to build a child’s language and communication skills, strengthen early bonds, and spark a lifelong love of reading, which is why early years is one of the priority groups for the National Year of Reading.
We are raising awareness of the National Year of Reading through a range of methods, such as via departmental communication channels, the National Year of Reading mailing list and social media, communications from the National Literacy Trust, and promotion via the English Hubs network.
All interested parties are encouraged to sign up to the National Year of Reading website for more information: https://goallin.org.uk/.
To further support reading for pleasure, this government has committed over £10 million of dormant assets funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this parliament, and a further £5 million for secondary schools to purchase books to encourage reading enjoyment amongst their pupils.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Civil Society Covenant will play a role in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. It is a department initiative, in collaboration with our delivery partner, the National Literacy Trust, who are leading the delivery of the campaign.
The National Year of Reading is operating as a collective impact campaign, allowing multiple partners from a range of sectors to participate, including schools, libraries, publishers, booksellers, media companies, retailers, and charities. It supports the Civil Society Covenant’s aims to build effective partnerships across the breadth of civil society and government, working together to tackle the deep-seated challenges of our time.
Tackling the long-term decline in reading for pleasure requires cross-sector support across the UK, as encompassed by the Go All In campaign which encourages everyone to get involved. The year includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings across the UK throughout the year.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for (a) journalism, (b) media studies, (c) publishing and (d) information services courses on (i) their commercial viability and (ii) trends in numbers of students studying those courses.
Answered by Janet Daby
I refer the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data she used to inform her decision to remove high-cost subject funding from (a) journalism, (b) media studies, (c) publishing and (d) information services.
Answered by Janet Daby
I refer the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.