Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
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 tuition fees on the social mobility of young people.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The introduction of tuition fees has not resulted in fewer people going into Higher Education (HE). The 18-year-old entry rate for disadvantaged students from England increased from 14.4% in 2011 to 25.1% in 2022, and in 2022 we saw record numbers of disadvantaged 18-years-olds going to HE.
Disadvantaged entry rate - English 18-year-olds
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Disadvantaged entry rate | 14.4% | 14.4% | 15.6% | 17.0% | 18.0% | 18.9% | 19.9% | 20.2% | 21.7% | 24.0% | 24.5% | 25.1% |
Notes: Disadvantage measured using POLAR, a measure of educational disadvantage.
Source: UCAS End of Cycle Resources, available at: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources-2022.
From August 2023, interest rates for new student loan borrowers will be reduced to RPI only. Under these new terms, no one will repay more than they originally borrowed when adjusted for inflation.
Degree apprenticeships also offer a unique opportunity for people to earn while they learn, achieving degrees from some of our best universities without incurring tuition fees. We’ve seen year-on-year growth of degree-level apprenticeships (Levels 6 & 7) with over 185,000 starts since their introduction in 2014/15 academic year.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the end of the transition period on (a) further and (b) higher education.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The department is considering all aspects of how exiting the EU might affect further and higher education. This includes consideration of participation in EU-funded programmes, future arrangements for migration and for access to student finance support. We are committed to ensuring the country is prepared for every eventuality.
My officials also regularly engage with sector stakeholders on a range of issues, including leaving the EU and the Transition Period.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to support the NHS to mitigate the financial cost of the immigration skills charge for financial year 2017-18.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Exemptions from the Immigration Skills Charge for employers were announced on 24 March 2016. These include exemptions for employers of specified occupations skilled to PhD level and individuals switching from a Tier 4 student visa to Tier 2 (General). All employers, including the NHS, who recruit workers through the Tier 2 skilled worker route will benefit from these exemptions.
We have not estimated the potential annual cost of the charge to providers. The cost will depend on employer use of the Tier 2 skilled worker route. The Government has no plans to reimburse the cost of the Immigration Skills Charge for any employer.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the cost of the immigration skills charge to providers in financial year 2017-18.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Exemptions from the Immigration Skills Charge for employers were announced on 24 March 2016. These include exemptions for employers of specified occupations skilled to PhD level and individuals switching from a Tier 4 student visa to Tier 2 (General). All employers, including the NHS, who recruit workers through the Tier 2 skilled worker route will benefit from these exemptions.
We have not estimated the potential annual cost of the charge to providers. The cost will depend on employer use of the Tier 2 skilled worker route. The Government has no plans to reimburse the cost of the Immigration Skills Charge for any employer.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether exemptions from the immigration skills charge will be available to NHS employers.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Exemptions from the Immigration Skills Charge for employers were announced on 24 March 2016. These include exemptions for employers of specified occupations skilled to PhD level and individuals switching from a Tier 4 student visa to Tier 2 (General). All employers, including the NHS, who recruit workers through the Tier 2 skilled worker route will benefit from these exemptions.
We have not estimated the potential annual cost of the charge to providers. The cost will depend on employer use of the Tier 2 skilled worker route. The Government has no plans to reimburse the cost of the Immigration Skills Charge for any employer.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost of the Immigration Skills Charge to the NHS in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20 and (d) 2020-21.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Exemptions from the Immigration Skills Charge for employers were announced on 24 March 2016. These include exemptions for employers of specified occupations skilled to PhD level and individuals switching from a Tier 4 student visa to Tier 2 (General). All employers, including the NHS and other public sector employers, who recruit workers through the Tier 2 skilled worker route will benefit from these exemptions.
We have not estimated the annual cost of the charge to providers. The cost will depend on employer use of the Tier 2 skilled worker route.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any exemptions from the Immigration Skills Charge will be available to (a) NHS and (b) other public sector employers.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Exemptions from the Immigration Skills Charge for employers were announced on 24 March 2016. These include exemptions for employers of specified occupations skilled to PhD level and individuals switching from a Tier 4 student visa to Tier 2 (General). All employers, including the NHS and other public sector employers, who recruit workers through the Tier 2 skilled worker route will benefit from these exemptions.
We have not estimated the annual cost of the charge to providers. The cost will depend on employer use of the Tier 2 skilled worker route.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the UK's decision to leave the EU on student and staff numbers in the higher education sector.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
EU students and staff make an important contribution to our world class Higher Education sector, and we want that to continue.
Any effects on student and staff numbers following the UK's exit from the EU will be considered as part of wider discussions about the UK's relationship with the EU.