Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the value for money for students of Higher Education studying at universities in the West Midlands.

My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced on 19 February, that the government is conducting a major review across post-18 education and funding. The review will ensure that the system is giving every individual a genuine choice between high quality technical, vocational and academic routes, students and taxpayers are getting value for money, and employers can access the skilled workforce they need. We want to ensure that students receive value for money whatever and wherever they study, and that the system meets the skills needs of national and local labour markets.

The review is being supported by an independent panel, led by Philip Augar, and comprising experts from across post-18 education and the business world. The panel will publish their report at an interim stage, before the government concludes the overall review in early 2019.

Government reforms are improving the information available to students to help them make informed choices. The Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) will focus on what matters to students: teaching quality, the learning experience, and student outcomes. The development of subject-level TEF will give students more information than ever before. Longitudinal Education Outcomes data will also provide students with information on employment and earnings outcomes of higher education graduates by degree subject studied and university attended.

The Department for Education has not specifically assessed value for money for higher education students studying at universities in the West Midlands.