Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing free continuing education for adults with (a) dyslexia, (b) illiteracy and (c) additional reading and learning disorders.

The department has invested £1.34 billion in the 2022/23 academic year in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB). The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision up to level 3 for eligible adults aged 19 and above, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning.

The AEB also funds Learner Support to support learners with a specific financial hardship and Learning Support to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and disabilities, including the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Learning Support can cover a range of needs including an assessment for dyslexia, funding to pay for specialist equipment or helpers, and arranging signers or note takers.

Currently, approximately 60% of the AEB is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are now responsible for the provision of AEB-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the AEB to providers. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will continue to be responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas.

The AEB supports four statutory entitlements to full funding for adult learners, which apply in devolved and non-devolved areas:

• English and maths, up to and including level 2, for individuals aged 19 and over, who have not previously attained a GCSE grade A* - C or grade 4 or higher
• First full qualification at level 2 for individuals aged 19 to 23
• First full qualification at level 3 for individuals aged 19 to 23
• Essential digital skills qualifications, up to and including level 1, for individuals aged 19 and over, who have digital skills assessed at below level 1.

The ESFA-funded AEB for learners residing in non-devolved areas also supports more flexible tailored programmes of learning to be made available, which may or may not require a qualification, to help eligible learners engage in learning, build confidence, and enhance their wellbeing.