Munira Wilson

Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes, supporting crime prevention and enabling young people to thrive.

This is part of the Young Futures Programme alongside which we will establish a network of Young Futures Prevention Partnerships to bring together key partners to identify children and young people at risk of being drawn into crime and offer support in a more systematic way to divert them.

To make progress quickly and achieve impact across this programme, the department will need to build upon the existing structures it has in place, from physical buildings to local partnership working and the existing workforce.

The department is working closely with the construction sector to ensure its skills offer meets the needs of employers. We are working with the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), Construction Skills Delivery Group (CSDG), industry leaders and other government departments, to help more people access high-quality training and careers in construction. The CSDG has been instrumental in bringing together partners from industry, and across different government departments, to identify barriers to growth in construction and feed intelligence on how the skills offer can be shaped to best meet the needs of the industry.

This government has announced £140 million industry investment in Homebuilding Skills Hubs. These will be established by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the National Housebuilding Council (NHBC) on a demand led basis, in areas where large scale homebuilding projects lead to a surge in demand. The hubs are projected to deliver over 5,000 fast track apprenticeships per year by 2027/28, in shortage occupations including Bricklaying and Groundwork, making use of the existing flexibilities in our apprenticeships system to help businesses get the skilled workers they need more quickly. This initiative represents £100 million investment from the NHBC and the CITB, an executive non-departmental public body.

The department continues to support the take-up of construction and construction-related subjects in further education. Skills, including construction, planning and architecture are crucial for the delivery of the government’s missions. The department is building a coherent, flexible, high-quality skills system to break down barriers to opportunity and drive economic growth, underpinned by a new post-16 skills and education strategy.

A wide range of government-funded programmes are available for construction employers who are considering hiring employees, offering work experience, or upskilling existing staff. These include apprenticeships, T Levels, Skills Bootcamps, and free courses for jobs.

There are currently 91 high-quality apprenticeship standards in the construction and the built environment sector, with a further two standards in development, including in occupations like level 2 scaffolder, level 3 bricklayer, and level 6 construction site manager.

The department has introduced innovations to support growth of training programmes in the sector. For example, we are making apprenticeships more flexible through flexi job apprenticeships. There are Skills Bootcamps around the country that offer courses in different areas of construction.

T Levels provide an excellent option for 16 to 19 learners and include valuable workplace experience through an industry placement of at least 45 days. Thousands of young people have benefited from T Levels such as Design, Surveying and Planning, and Building Services Engineering, which can lead to rewarding careers in the construction sector.

There are 21 ​Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) currently available in the Construction and the Built Environment occupational route, with a further 19 becoming available from September 2025. Examples of HTQs currently available in these areas include a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Modern Methods of Construction, HND in Architectural Technology and a Higher National Certificate Construction Quantity Surveying.

Following the Review of Qualifications Reform, which looked at level 3 qualifications due to be defunded by 31 July 2025, the department is retaining 12 level 3 qualifications in Construction and the Built Environment until 2026. The department’s expectation is that, at this point, the combination of A levels, T Levels and reformed qualifications will meet the needs of learners in this route.

As part of this review, the department announced that new enrolments onto the T Level in Onsite Construction will cease. Although this T Level is providing valuable education and industry experience, on the whole, its success and uptake has been limited due to the overall lack of demand for a large level 3 qualification in this area. Moving forward, the needs of learners will best be met through apprenticeships and other classroom provision as set out here.

The department is also setting up Skills England to bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to help meet the skills needs of the next decade. Aligned to the government’s industrial strategy, this work will also be underpinned by local skills improvement plans, which help make technical education and training more responsive to local labour market and employer needs, including employers in the construction section.

The department is working closely with the construction sector to ensure its skills offer meets the needs of employers. We are working with the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), Construction Skills Delivery Group (CSDG), industry leaders and other government departments, to help more people access high-quality training and careers in construction. The CSDG has been instrumental in bringing together partners from industry, and across different government departments, to identify barriers to growth in construction and feed intelligence on how the skills offer can be shaped to best meet the needs of the industry.

This government has announced £140 million industry investment in Homebuilding Skills Hubs. These will be established by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the National Housebuilding Council (NHBC) on a demand led basis, in areas where large scale homebuilding projects lead to a surge in demand. The hubs are projected to deliver over 5,000 fast track apprenticeships per year by 2027/28, in shortage occupations including Bricklaying and Groundwork, making use of the existing flexibilities in our apprenticeships system to help businesses get the skilled workers they need more quickly. This initiative represents £100 million investment from the NHBC and the CITB, an executive non-departmental public body.

The department continues to support the take-up of construction and construction-related subjects in further education. Skills, including construction, planning and architecture are crucial for the delivery of the government’s missions. The department is building a coherent, flexible, high-quality skills system to break down barriers to opportunity and drive economic growth, underpinned by a new post-16 skills and education strategy.

A wide range of government-funded programmes are available for construction employers who are considering hiring employees, offering work experience, or upskilling existing staff. These include apprenticeships, T Levels, Skills Bootcamps, and free courses for jobs.

There are currently 91 high-quality apprenticeship standards in the construction and the built environment sector, with a further two standards in development, including in occupations like level 2 scaffolder, level 3 bricklayer, and level 6 construction site manager.

The department has introduced innovations to support growth of training programmes in the sector. For example, we are making apprenticeships more flexible through flexi job apprenticeships. There are Skills Bootcamps around the country that offer courses in different areas of construction.

T Levels provide an excellent option for 16 to 19 learners and include valuable workplace experience through an industry placement of at least 45 days. Thousands of young people have benefited from T Levels such as Design, Surveying and Planning, and Building Services Engineering, which can lead to rewarding careers in the construction sector.

There are 21 ​Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) currently available in the Construction and the Built Environment occupational route, with a further 19 becoming available from September 2025. Examples of HTQs currently available in these areas include a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Modern Methods of Construction, HND in Architectural Technology and a Higher National Certificate Construction Quantity Surveying.

Following the Review of Qualifications Reform, which looked at level 3 qualifications due to be defunded by 31 July 2025, the department is retaining 12 level 3 qualifications in Construction and the Built Environment until 2026. The department’s expectation is that, at this point, the combination of A levels, T Levels and reformed qualifications will meet the needs of learners in this route.

As part of this review, the department announced that new enrolments onto the T Level in Onsite Construction will cease. Although this T Level is providing valuable education and industry experience, on the whole, its success and uptake has been limited due to the overall lack of demand for a large level 3 qualification in this area. Moving forward, the needs of learners will best be met through apprenticeships and other classroom provision as set out here.

The department is also setting up Skills England to bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to help meet the skills needs of the next decade. Aligned to the government’s industrial strategy, this work will also be underpinned by local skills improvement plans, which help make technical education and training more responsive to local labour market and employer needs, including employers in the construction section.

The department provides capital funding, guidance and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings. It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department. Therefore, the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of our policy decisions.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England. The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was 237, or around 1%. The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

Where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed, the government is funding its removal from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).  Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward.

As of 27 November 2024, 30 schools, where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding, have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

A total of 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP. Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works. SRP projects take on average 3 to 5 years to complete.

The department provides capital funding, guidance and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings. It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department. Therefore, the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of our policy decisions.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England. The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was 237, or around 1%. The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

Where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed, the government is funding its removal from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).  Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward.

As of 27 November 2024, 30 schools, where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding, have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

A total of 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP. Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works. SRP projects take on average 3 to 5 years to complete.

The department provides capital funding, guidance and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings. It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department. Therefore, the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of our policy decisions.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England. The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was 237, or around 1%. The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

Where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed, the government is funding its removal from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).  Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward.

As of 27 November 2024, 30 schools, where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding, have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

A total of 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP. Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works. SRP projects take on average 3 to 5 years to complete.

The Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme is collecting condition, contextual and building management data for every government-funded school in England. CDC2 is collecting data on over 22,000 educational establishments between 2021 and 2026.

To date, the programme has visited 18,248 schools and released 15,912 CDC2 reports to schools, which represents 83% of the total number of schools to be visited and 72% of the total number of reports to be released to schools.

The department provides capital funding, guidance and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings. It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department. Therefore, the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of our policy decisions.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England. The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was 237, or around 1%. The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

Where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed, the government is funding its removal from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).  Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward.

As of 27 November 2024, 30 schools, where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding, have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

A total of 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP. Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works. SRP projects take on average 3 to 5 years to complete.

The department provides capital funding, guidance and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings. It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department. Therefore, the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of our policy decisions.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England. The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was 237, or around 1%. The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

Where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed, the government is funding its removal from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).  Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward.

As of 27 November 2024, 30 schools, where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding, have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

A total of 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP. Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works. SRP projects take on average 3 to 5 years to complete.

This government is committed to providing support for care leavers to ensure they have the practical and emotional support they need as they move towards independence. The department is currently providing £23 million this financial year for 47 local authorities and three charities to deliver Staying Close. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced the overall settlement for the department for the 2025/26 financial year. The department is working internally to confirm the detail of 2025/26 budgets and future funding plans as soon as possible.

As announced in the Oral Statement in the House of Commons on 18 November, it is this government’s intention to make the Staying Close programme a national offer to all former relevant children up to the age of 25, when parliamentary time allows.

This will set the clear expectation that the local authority must assess whether provision of Staying Close support to the former relevant child is required, in the interests of that person’s welfare.

This government is committed to providing support for care leavers to ensure they have the practical and emotional support they need as they move towards independence. The department is currently providing £23 million this financial year for 47 local authorities and three charities to deliver Staying Close. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced the overall settlement for the department for the 2025/26 financial year. The department is working internally to confirm the detail of 2025/26 budgets and future funding plans as soon as possible.

As announced in the Oral Statement in the House of Commons on 18 November, it is this government’s intention to make the Staying Close programme a national offer to all former relevant children up to the age of 25, when parliamentary time allows.

This will set the clear expectation that the local authority must assess whether provision of Staying Close support to the former relevant child is required, in the interests of that person’s welfare.

Within the 2022/23 to 2024/25 financial years, the department is providing £53 million to 47 local authorities and three private providers to deliver the Staying Close programme. The programme supports care leavers to find and maintain move-on accommodation, and provides practical and emotional support from someone they know and trust, to young people leaving residential and other care placements.

The independent evaluations of the initial pilots showed Staying Close found promising evidence that this programme can support better outcomes for care leavers including a 20% improvement in mental health outcomes, a 13% reduction in the number of young people who were not in education, employment or training and a 21% reduction in anti-social behaviour.

The evaluations reported that Staying Close supported young people to develop and build the skills needed to prepare for independent living. Feedback showed that young people’s life skills had improved after six months of participating in the project and that they felt happier in themselves. They also showed increased participation in activities, whether education, employment or getting involved with other activities in the project.

The department continues to look at the impact of Staying Close and have commissioned the Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI) to undertake further evaluation. This is due to report in early 2025.

The within-school and -college factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s outcome is high quality teaching, but there are shortages of qualified teachers across the country. This is why this government will work with the sector to deliver its pledge to recruit 6,500 additional teachers across schools and colleges over the course of this parliament, to raise standards for children and young people, and deliver its mission to break down the barriers to opportunity at every stage. The department’s measures will include getting more teachers into shortage subjects, supporting areas that face recruitment challenges and tackling retention issues. Further details will be shared in due course.

The department has already made good, early progress towards this pledge by ensuring teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. The department has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools, which is effective from September. The department is also removing the requirement for performance related pay.

Alongside this the department is also supporting teachers to improve their workload and wellbeing, including opportunities for greater flexible working. Teachers are now allowed to undertake planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time remotely and the department is also delivering a programme focused on embedding flexible working in schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs). This includes the delivery of supportive webinars and peer support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and MATs. ​Additionally, the department has made available a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing, including its improve workload and wellbeing for school staff service and the education staff wellbeing charter.

The department has also expanded the school teacher recruitment campaign 'Every Lesson Shapes a Life' and the further education teacher recruitment campaign 'Share your Skills'.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a Budget on 30 October to be followed by a multi-year spending review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future funding will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

The department is dedicated to working in partnership with the sector to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession, and one that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates and industry professionals wish to join.

The within-school and -college factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s outcome is high quality teaching, but there are shortages of qualified teachers across the country. This is why this government will work with the sector to deliver its pledge to recruit 6,500 additional teachers across schools and colleges over the course of this parliament, to raise standards for children and young people, and deliver its mission to break down the barriers to opportunity at every stage. The department’s measures will include getting more teachers into shortage subjects, supporting areas that face recruitment challenges and tackling retention issues. Further details will be shared in due course.

The department has already made good, early progress towards this pledge by ensuring teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. The department has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools, which is effective from September. The department is also removing the requirement for performance related pay.

Alongside this the department is also supporting teachers to improve their workload and wellbeing, including opportunities for greater flexible working. Teachers are now allowed to undertake planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time remotely and the department is also delivering a programme focused on embedding flexible working in schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs). This includes the delivery of supportive webinars and peer support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and MATs. ​Additionally, the department has made available a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing, including its improve workload and wellbeing for school staff service and the education staff wellbeing charter.

The department has also expanded the school teacher recruitment campaign 'Every Lesson Shapes a Life' and the further education teacher recruitment campaign 'Share your Skills'.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a Budget on 30 October to be followed by a multi-year spending review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future funding will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

The department is dedicated to working in partnership with the sector to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession, and one that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates and industry professionals wish to join.

The within-school and -college factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s outcome is high quality teaching, but there are shortages of qualified teachers across the country. This is why this government will work with the sector to deliver its pledge to recruit 6,500 additional teachers across schools and colleges over the course of this parliament, to raise standards for children and young people, and deliver its mission to break down the barriers to opportunity at every stage. The department’s measures will include getting more teachers into shortage subjects, supporting areas that face recruitment challenges and tackling retention issues. Further details will be shared in due course.

The department has already made good, early progress towards this pledge by ensuring teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. The department has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools, which is effective from September. The department is also removing the requirement for performance related pay.

Alongside this the department is also supporting teachers to improve their workload and wellbeing, including opportunities for greater flexible working. Teachers are now allowed to undertake planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time remotely and the department is also delivering a programme focused on embedding flexible working in schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs). This includes the delivery of supportive webinars and peer support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and MATs. ​Additionally, the department has made available a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing, including its improve workload and wellbeing for school staff service and the education staff wellbeing charter.

The department has also expanded the school teacher recruitment campaign 'Every Lesson Shapes a Life' and the further education teacher recruitment campaign 'Share your Skills'.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a Budget on 30 October to be followed by a multi-year spending review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future funding will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

The department is dedicated to working in partnership with the sector to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession, and one that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates and industry professionals wish to join.

Lord Wharton resigned as chair of the Office for Students (OfS) on 9 July 2024.

Lord Wharton’s resignation was accepted by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, who swiftly appointed Sir David Behan as temporary chair of the OfS while the process to appoint a permanent chair is undertaken.

The department thanked Lord Wharton for his service as chair of the OfS through a period of change and challenge.

The review of Qualifications Reform has already begun and will focus on Level 3 qualifications currently scheduled to have funding removed on 31 July 2025. It will aim to ensure that there are a range of high quality qualifications at Level 3 alongside T Levels and A levels to meet the needs of learners and employers.

The department will also clarify the position on the wider qualifications landscape, given that the previous government had made statements about funding expectations going forward. We will aim to do that as soon as we can, after the review. However, clarifying the position on the 2025 defunding list is our top priority.

My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills is overseeing the internal review, which is being undertaken by civil servants. We have already held a Ministerial chaired round table with key leaders in the college sector and are undertaking a series of focus groups with colleges, schools and other organisations to ensure that the views of stakeholders are fully considered.

The outcomes of the review will be published before the end of the year.

The review of Qualifications Reform has already begun and will focus on Level 3 qualifications currently scheduled to have funding removed on 31 July 2025. It will aim to ensure that there are a range of high quality qualifications at Level 3 alongside T Levels and A levels to meet the needs of learners and employers.

The department will also clarify the position on the wider qualifications landscape, given that the previous government had made statements about funding expectations going forward. We will aim to do that as soon as we can, after the review. However, clarifying the position on the 2025 defunding list is our top priority.

My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills is overseeing the internal review, which is being undertaken by civil servants. We have already held a Ministerial chaired round table with key leaders in the college sector and are undertaking a series of focus groups with colleges, schools and other organisations to ensure that the views of stakeholders are fully considered.

The outcomes of the review will be published before the end of the year.

The review of Qualifications Reform has already begun and will focus on Level 3 qualifications currently scheduled to have funding removed on 31 July 2025. It will aim to ensure that there are a range of high quality qualifications at Level 3 alongside T Levels and A levels to meet the needs of learners and employers.

The department will also clarify the position on the wider qualifications landscape, given that the previous government had made statements about funding expectations going forward. We will aim to do that as soon as we can, after the review. However, clarifying the position on the 2025 defunding list is our top priority.

My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills is overseeing the internal review, which is being undertaken by civil servants. We have already held a Ministerial chaired round table with key leaders in the college sector and are undertaking a series of focus groups with colleges, schools and other organisations to ensure that the views of stakeholders are fully considered.

The outcomes of the review will be published before the end of the year.