Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of overseas deployment of staff in his department on the ability of their children to access higher education funding.

We are aware that a small number of children of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) staff have been refused student finance or classified as international students because their parent's overseas service was not considered to meet the residency requirements in current student finance regulations. While the number of cases is low, we understand the significant financial strain on affected families and that uncertainty over access to higher education funding could deter staff from undertaking essential overseas service. It is our view that children of Crown Servants should not be disadvantaged by their parent's overseas service on behalf of the government. That is why the Department has been working closely with the Department for Education to find a long-term, legislative solution.