Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are enough English for Speakers of Other Languages classes throughout the country to meet demand, and whether those classes are free for asylum seekers and refugees.

The department supports adults aged 19+ in England to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, funded through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), subject to the eligibility requirements laid out in the ASF. This allows learners to develop the English language skills they need for everyday life, work or further learning.

Adults who are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection by the Home Office, and asylum seekers whose cases have been pending for six months or longer, are eligible for the same skills funding as any other English resident and are not subject to the normal three year qualifying period to access ASF funding.

Currently, approximately 60% of the ASF is devolved to nine mayoral strategic authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas.

The department is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the specific needs of their communities.

In non-devolved ASF areas, adults eligible for ASF funding, including those granted humanitarian protection and asylum seekers whose cases have been pending for six months or more, can be fully funded or co-funded to study ESOL, depending on their employment status and salary.