Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Berridge on 2 June (HL434), whether they still intend to publish a cross-Government English language strategy, as set out in the Integrated Communities Strategy green paper.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 2 June 2021 to Question HL434.

This government remains committed to English language as demonstrated by the manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching.

Our response to the COVID-19 outbreak is our priority at present. We will provide an update on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in due course.

The department also remains committed to strengthening communities through integration. Since publication, we have made significant progress on the commitments in the Integrated Communities Action Plan. This includes providing over 18,000 learner places through our Integrated Communities English Language Programme (£4.5 million) and Coordination Fund (£1.2 million), and setting up of five Integration Areas.

We continue to build upon the Integration Area Programme and are working hard to boost English language provision, including through the ESOL for Integration Fund.