Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the adequacy of the national funding rate for sixth form students.

The departmental budget for spending on sixth form funding in England from 2015-16 to 2019-20 was set in the 2015 Spending Review. As with other areas of departmental spending, sixth form funding from 2020 onwards will be considered as part of the next Spending Review.

We have protected the base rate of funding for 16 to 19 year olds for all types of providers until the end of the current spending review period in 2020 and overall, the government plans to invest nearly £7 billion during 2018-19, to ensure there is a place in education or training for every 16 to 19 year old who wants one. We are considering the efficiency and resilience of the sector and are assessing how far the current funding and regulatory structures enable high quality provision for young people.

The department works closely with HM Treasury in considering sixth form funding at ministerial and official level, and will continue to do so in the lead-up to the Spending Review.