Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report of the National Audit Office entitled, Environmental Sustainability Overview: Department for Education, published on 28 June 2023, what steps she is taking to support schools that are not included in the School Rebuilding Programme to become net zero carbon in operation.
Answered by Nick Gibb
In November 2021, the Department published a new zero carbon and climate resilient specification, for use on all new and refurbished school and college buildings. As well as being used on the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP), the specification sets a wide range of performance and construction standards, including environmental above those required in building regulations. This includes design specifications so that buildings can be adapted for a 2°C rise in average global temperatures and future proofed for a 4°C rise, to adapt to the risks of climate change, including increased flooding and higher indoor temperatures. This is also available for use by responsible bodies and others who are encouraged to follow its minimum standards.
The Department is also currently testing a range of approaches to operating schools at zero carbon; improving energy efficiency, and resilience to the effects of climate change; as well as using ultra-low carbon construction methods, that can be used to retrofit existing buildings, including the replacement of high carbon intensity heat sources.
The Department works closely with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help schools and colleges access the £1.4 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which supports the aim of reducing emissions from public sector buildings by 75% by 2037. Information on the Scheme can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-sector-decarbonisation-scheme.
From October 2022, up to £635 million over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years has been made available through Phase 3b of the scheme for installing low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in public buildings.
Schools and those responsible for school buildings are also provided with guidance on sustainability, managing energy and water use and minimising waste in the Good Estate Management for Schools manual. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements they are making to ensure students from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso are able (1) to begin planned studies, or (2) continue to be able to study, in the UK following the coups in those nations.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Despite ongoing political instability, we continue to award Chevening scholarships to successful candidates from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to study for post graduate degrees in the UK. For the academic year 2023-2024 we have two scholars from Niger and two from Mali. All scholars receive support with their visa applications and travel arrangements from the Chevening Secretariat.
The UK also continues to provide support for education in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso through the Education Cannot Wait Fund, a multilateral fund which supports the provision of education interventions targeting children in emergencies, and through Global Partnership for Education which supports the transformation of education systems globally, including in Burkina Faso and Mali.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the security situation in Burkina Faso on access to education for children.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is closely monitoring events in Burkina Faso including the worsening security and humanitarian situation. Recent analysis by the UN and NGOs indicates that high numbers of school closures are disrupting education for pupils in Burkina Faso. The UK continues to provide support for education through the Education Cannot Wait Fund, a multilateral fund which supports the provision of education interventions targeting children in emergencies, including in Burkina Faso. The UK also supports the Global Partnership for Education which supports education systems transformation globally, including in Burkina Faso.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential financial impact of leaving the EU on students who wish to study abroad; and whether she plans to provide funding to support those students.
Answered by Robert Halfon
English-domiciled students attending an overseas institution as part of their UK course are charged a tuition fee of up to £1,350 for their overseas year of study, 15% of the full year fee rate, and they also qualify for fee loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. The department is freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years to deliver better value for students and to keep the cost of higher education (HE) under control. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
English-domiciled students attending an overseas institution as part of their UK course also qualify for partially means-tested loans for living costs paid at the overseas rate. We have increased maximum loans for living costs each year with a 2.8% increase for the current 2023/24 academic year.
The Government prioritises support for eligible English-domiciled students undertaking designated courses at UK HE institutions to ensure the student finance system remains sustainable.
The Turing Scheme, the UK Government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad, also exists to support students at UK institutions who wish to do so. This is on top of the student finance support that HE participants may already qualify for. A UK-wide scheme, funding is available at set rates to contribute to the living costs of participating students. All schools and further education participants will receive funding for travel costs, as well as HE students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Funding also covers visas, passports and related travel insurance for all participants from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as up to 100% of actual additional costs participants might incur as a result of being disabled and/or having a special educational need.
Turing Scheme funding for students across the UK is only available for students who are studying at registered UK education providers. The Scheme supports international mobilities of up to a year, and not the entire duration of a course of study or training undertaken overseas.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Office of Artificial Intelligence 2021 Grant.
Answered by Paul Scully
In 2021 the UK published the National AI Strategy which set out our ten year plan to strengthen the UK’s role as a global AI leader and which built on the success of the 2018 AI Sector Deal and continuing commitments to improve the AI skills and talent of the UK workforce.
The AI Sector Deal committed to an Industry-Funded Masters in AI (IMAI) programme, which included support for up to 200 AI Masters places at UK universities, starting in September 2019.
The programme successfully leveraged £3.3 of industry funding for AI Masters for every £1 of public spend. Beyond the financial benefits, the design of the programme facilitated engagement between Higher Education Institutions and large companies, including DeepMind, Quantum Black, BAE Systems and others. The government provided an opportunity for students across the majority of regions to develop their skills in AI, with twelve out of seventeen institutions located outside of London and the South East. By facilitating partnerships between industry and academia, participating universities were able to improve the business relevance of their AI Masters’ courses, helping to meet the demand for industry relevant skills.
Despite these significant accomplishments, the evaluation highlighted several limitations in the programme. A lack of appropriate data collection meant there were limited mechanisms for evaluating student participation and graduate outcomes. The initial targets were set relatively high and future programmes would benefit from a more evidence based approach to set more realistic targets. Finally, stakeholders indicated that more could have been done to publicise the programme to industry, Higher Education Institutions and students.
The successes and limitations of the IMAI programme have already shaped and informed the design and delivery of the AI and Data Science Conversion Course programme, announced in 2019 – including how to successfully leverage industry funding – which has been incorporated into the design of the second phase of the AI and Data Science Conversion Course programme. The appointment of a dedicated employer engagement partner is ensuring a targeted focus on building strong relationships between industry, academia, participating students, and the wider AI skills community to drive stronger stakeholder involvement in the programme. The programme is also focused on improving the diversity of students taking up AI courses, and emerging findings from our improved data collection process has enabled us to demonstrate the value of scholarships in improving diversity and the representation of women, as well as black and disabled students in the AI ecosystem.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to collaborate with local schools and educational institutions to promote positive values and to engage with students and educators.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
Church of England schools are community schools educating over a million children a day. As a community school in many parts of the country, particularly our major cities, this means the majority of pupils are from non-Christian backgrounds, from other faith communities and from global majority ethnic backgrounds. All Church of England schools follow the national curriculum and also the Church of England’s vision for education, prioritising education of the whole child and promoting the spiritual, intellectual and emotional resources needed to live a good life. The vision for education encourages the development of the skills of wisdom, hope, community and respect; fostering a society where people can work together and have an understanding of British values, democracy, rule of law and the dignity of the human person. More details about this vision and the church schools can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools
Awards of nearly £13 million have been made for dioceses to help churches support more children, young people and families. The grants from the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board of the Archbishops’ Council will revitalise parishes and start new congregations. The investments build on already successful projects to create new congregations and reach children and young people in areas including Bolton, Bournemouth, Guildford, Southampton and Wakefield. More information is available here: Church of England announces £13 million of grants to reach children, youth and families | The Church of England
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that universities are able to accommodate all overseas students who have (a) applied for and (b) have received confirmation of residential accommodation.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Student accommodation is a busy part of the housing market and, as universities and landlords are private, autonomous bodies, the government has no role in providing student residential accommodation, nor a remit to intervene. The department expects universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear and have the interests of all students at heart. This includes making accommodation available at a range of affordable price points where possible.
As set out in the government's International Education Strategy, the department is committed to working with the higher education sector to enhance the international student experience to ensure they have an enjoyable and valuable experience whilst in the UK. The International Education Strategy can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth. The department is also working closely with organisations such as the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) who offer a range of information and guidance for those in the UK. Further information is available at: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/.
Universities provide a range of dedicated support to their international students before they arrive in the UK, on arrival and during their studies. Any arrangements for a hosting scheme for international students when they arrive in the UK would be for individual UK universities to consider, as part of their support provision.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a hosting scheme for overseas university students for when they first arrive in the UK.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Student accommodation is a busy part of the housing market and, as universities and landlords are private, autonomous bodies, the government has no role in providing student residential accommodation, nor a remit to intervene. The department expects universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear and have the interests of all students at heart. This includes making accommodation available at a range of affordable price points where possible.
As set out in the government's International Education Strategy, the department is committed to working with the higher education sector to enhance the international student experience to ensure they have an enjoyable and valuable experience whilst in the UK. The International Education Strategy can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth. The department is also working closely with organisations such as the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) who offer a range of information and guidance for those in the UK. Further information is available at: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/.
Universities provide a range of dedicated support to their international students before they arrive in the UK, on arrival and during their studies. Any arrangements for a hosting scheme for international students when they arrive in the UK would be for individual UK universities to consider, as part of their support provision.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the UK's contribution to Global Education initiatives.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Ensuring access to quality education is an FCDO priority. The UK is committed to supporting this through the global education funds. We are the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), pledging £430 million in 2021. We pledged £80 million to Education Cannot Wait (ECW) in February 2023. We have been at the forefront of developing the new International Finance Facility for Education. Beyond financing, we launched a global Commitment to Action on foundational learning with partners in 2022. 29 countries have signed up to date, committing to ensure basic education for all children, especially the most marginalised.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the announcement entitled PM calls on G7 to help educate every child in the world, published on 11 June 2021, what steps he is taking to deliver the £430 million funding pledged to the Global Partnership for Education, in the context of levels of funding delivered to date; and what steps he is taking with international partners to help deliver a fully funded Global Partnership for Education.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is a founding member and top bilateral donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). GPE estimates that its support will help partner countries get 40 million more girls into school and support 17 million more girls to read in low and lower-middle income countries by 2025. In 2021, the UK co-hosted the Global Education Summit, helping to raise a historic $4 billion in donor pledges for GPE, including the UK's pledge of £430 million to GPE over 5 years. So far, the UK has disbursed £30 million in line with the FCDO Spending Review allocation.