Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, <i>Building Skills for all: A Review of England, </i>published in January, in respect of the report's findings that (1) seven per cent of university graduates in England under the age of 35 have numeracy skills below level 2, and that 3.4 per cent have literacy skills below level 2; (2) competition between universities in England for the ablest students has intensified to the point that less successful universities have lowered their admission demands to attract applicants; and (3) with a record number of students now entering for degree courses, money should be diverted from universities and deployed to enhance basic school education.

The Government agrees it is critical that all students acquire the essential literacy and numeracy skills they need to make the most of their courses and progress into a fulfilling career.

Alongside the reforms to raise standards in schools and increase the number and quality of apprenticeships, our Higher Education Green Paper sets out further measures to ensure all students benefit from high-quality teaching.

Decisions about which students to admit is ultimately a matter for individual institutions, but by lifting the cap on student numbers we are ensuring that more students can benefit from higher education than ever before.