Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funding is currently allocated to higher education institutes to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities to disabled students under the Equality Act 2010.

In the academic year 2013/14 £15 million was allocated to Higher Education Institutions through theHigher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) grant, to help them recruit and support disabled students. This figure was an increase of £2 million on the previous year and has been maintained by HEFCE for 2014/15. This is in addition to the direct support provided to disabled students through the Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA). In England, £125.1 million was spent on providing DSA in 2011/12.