Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that English language testing has (a) high standards and (b) testing integrity.

We set high standards in all our services and the current English Language Testing Service is no exception, with Commercial expertise and OFQUAL regulation as well as day to day oversight and monitoring by a dedicated contract management team. Where issues are identified, we do not hesitate to act and we work with suppliers on a daily basis to monitor, manage and improve the service.

As part of the Home Office English Language Testing Procurement, we have engaged the market to understand what capability is available to maintain and enhance the highest standards of security and integrity and be innovative in our delivery, harnessing technology and industry best practice. These standards will be assessed as part of the procurement process and assured during implementation by rigorous technical testing and subject matter experts.