Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on funding for (1) medical faculties, and (2) the teaching of STEM subjects, at higher education institutions of any fall in the amount of funding received by cross-subsidisation from students of arts and humanities subjects due to a decrease in the numbers of any such students. [T]

In light of COVID-19, we have carefully assessed the challenges the sector is facing and brought forward a comprehensive support package for higher education providers and students in order to stabilise the admissions system and ease pressures on universities’ finances. This included confirming universities’ eligibility to apply for the government financial support schemes and bringing forward £100 million of research funding and an estimated £2.6 billion worth of tuition fee payments for providers. The government continues to prioritise science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and medicine.

Additionally, the government continues to contribute teaching grant funding to support the delivery of priority activity, including for high-cost subjects. High-cost subject funding is due to total £690 million for 2020-21 and it is targeted at many STEM courses, as well as medicine. Very high-cost STEM subject funding is due to be £24 million for 2020-21.