Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps with Cabinet colleagues to (a) maintain funding for all 16 to 24 year olds enrolled in further education and training, (b) extend VAT reimbursement to further education colleges and (c) lift the cap on the Adult Skills Fund for 18 to 24 year old learners who are not in education, employment or training.

The department has made significant increases to the average funding per student since the 2024/25 academic year, an expected per student increase of 10.5%. We expect that the average per student funding in 2026/27 will stand at £6,874, compared to £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year. We will continue to fund the demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds, providing significant investment to ensure there are valuable and high-quality post-16 places for every student that wants one.

My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister has committed to looking into VAT reimbursement to further education colleges. The Government does keep all taxes under review, and any changes would be announced at a fiscal event.

We are committed to investing in education and skills training for adults and are investing over £1.4 billion in the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) this academic year. The ASF supports a range of learners, including young people who are unemployed.