Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports that Springer Nature has restricted access to academic articles in China on (a) human rights, (b) democracy and (c) other politically sensitive topics.

This government is absolutely committed to, and will continue to protect, academic freedom.

The department recognises the concerns of overseas interference in the academic sector and regularly works with colleagues from across government, the Office for Students, and other stakeholders to ensure that overseas influence does not interfere with academic freedom and related policies.