Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps her Department is taking to coordinate across the Home Office, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Education to ensure that English language testing used for immigration and education purposes aligns with the United Kingdom’s national interest.

The government supports adults aged 19+ in England who speak English as a second or additional language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, funded through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), subject to the eligibility requirements laid out in the ASF.

The English language requirement ensures that people coming to the UK have the language skills they need, whether that is to work or study in the UK or to live with their family. Being able to understand, speak, read and write in English is an important part of a person’s overall ability to integrate and engage with the wider community in the UK.

Work is also underway in the Department for Education to review ESOL content to ensure adults can gain the language skills they need for life, work and further study.