Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an estimate of the cost to educational institutions of stopping the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.

An estimate of costs associated with the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech Act) 2023 was provided in the Impact Assessment published with the Act.

The Act was paused to consider options for its future, including repeal, and no final decision has been made on this. One of the reasons for pausing the Act was to consider the burden on higher education providers before making a final decision, and the department is currently engaging with stakeholders on this. The department will undertake all required impact assessments before making a final decision.