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1019302

	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Our Digital Charter aims to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. As part of this work, we will publish an Online Harms White Paper in winter 2018/19, which will include a range of proposals including setting out how we will ensure that parents, children and other users develop the skills they need to stay safe online.</p><p> </p><p>Government is committed to increasing cyber security capacity across all sectors to ensure that the UK has the right level and blend of skills required to maintain our resilience to cyber threats and be the world’s leading digital economy.</p>

1020045

	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government is making important progress in tackling online safety issues through the Digital Charter, which is guided by a number of principles and whose core purpose is to make the Internet work for everyone – for citizens, businesses and society as a whole.</p><p> </p><p>Online anonymity is an important part of a free and open internet, providing essential protection for those who need it and allowing for many kinds of self expression and communication that would not otherwise be possible. But being anonymous online does not give anyone the right to abuse others or break the law.</p><p> </p><p>In the Winter, the Government will publish an Online Harms White Paper setting out a range of legislative and non-legislative measures to ensure tech companies take more responsibility for the safety of their users.</p>

1024226

	answering body	Department for Education
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>​​Both the Department for Education (DfE) and Office for Students (OfS) were made aware of the decision to defer the planned speech by the Israeli Ambassador. The DfE’s Further Education/Higher Education coordinator has been in contact with the institution.</p><p>​Freedom of speech is a crucial element of higher education and government and OfS are committed to championing it and to promoting open debate and challenge. Universities are autonomous bodies and are responsible for taking their own decisions around how to manage events and mitigate risks; handling of individual cases is not dictated by government or by the OfS. The OfS has powers to intervene if providers are not following their own free speech codes of practice</p>

1024227

	answering body	Department for Education
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The previous Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation held a free speech summit in May, where sector leaders agreed to collectively develop a single piece of guidance. The government has worked alongside sector leaders to set out key principles for universities and student unions managing free speech. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission will be publishing guidance in 2019 on how to ensure that freedom of speech within the law is upheld effectively in higher education institutions, whilst acknowledging their other legal duties.</p><p> </p>

1024228

	answering body	Department for Education
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The government is deeply committed to protecting freedom of speech within the law. The freedom to express views openly, challenge ideas and engage in robust debate is crucial to the student experience and to democracy. Individuals should never be in a position where they can be stopped from expressing an opinion perfectly lawfully. Institutions are required to balance risks and legal obligations with a view to ensuring freedom of speech wherever reasonably practicable.</p><p>The Joint Committee on Human Rights held an inquiry into freedom of speech in universities earlier this year, which looked in detail and collected evidence in relation to upholding freedom of speech in universities. Drawing on information from the inquiry, which found the current regulatory landscape protecting freedom of speech to be extremely complex, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and key partners in the higher education sector have worked with the Department of Education to develop a single piece of guidance, which will set out key principles. This guidance will enable universities and student unions to understand their obligations for protecting and supporting free speech.</p>

1024869

	answering body	Department for Education
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>​Widening participation is a priority for this government. We want to ensure that everyone with the potential to benefit from a university education has the opportunity to do so, regardless of their background or where they grew up. Significant progress has been made in recent years; in 2018, 18-year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds were 52% more likely to enter full-time higher education than in 2009.</p><p> </p><p>However, we have made clear our expectation that the Office for Students (OfS) will challenge universities to make greater progress in widening access and participation.</p><p> </p><p>For example, we have asked the OfS to explore further the use of contextual information in university admissions, such as whether an applicant comes from a low participation neighbourhood or attends a school that does not send many students to university.</p><p> </p><p>​We expect universities to use unconditional offers responsibly. There are cases where the use of unconditional offers can be justified, however the systematic use of unconditional offers is not in the interest of students.</p>

1027204

	answering body	Department for Education
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>As autonomous and independent organisations, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) determine what support services they provide to their students. Each institution will be best placed to identify the needs of their particular student body. The government places a high priority on how the particular needs of care leavers are addressed by HEIs. Many already provide all-year-round accommodation and bursaries for care leaver students. The Department for Education’s Guidance to the Office for Students (OfS), on completing 2019/20 access and participation plans, specifically identifies care leavers as a key target group whose needs HEIs should address. This is reflected in the OfS own guidance to the sector.</p><p> </p><p>The government recently launched the Care Leaver Covenant, which provides a way for organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors – including universities – to set out and publicise what support they provide to care leavers. A number of universities have already signed the Covenant, including Leeds, Liverpool John Moores, Huddersfield and Bradford; and we will continue to work closely with the OfS to encourage all universities to sign it.</p>

1028321

	answering body	Department for Education
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Music qualifications are not included in the EU Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive. The EU only has supporting competence in education and there is no EU law on the recognition of academic qualifications.</p><p> </p>

1037590

	answering body	Department for Education
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Universities are autonomous from government, and consequently control the criteria used to determine admissions. We are aware that some universities, notably those that comprise the Russell Group, identify the A level subjects most likely to facilitate entry to university. However, many other higher education institutions are guided simply by UCAS calculations of tariff points, which give equal weighting to A levels, regardless of subject. The government recognises the importance of arts subjects, including music. Students’ ability to make informed choices is at the heart of our recent reforms to higher education. The department is increasing the information available to students to ensure they can make informed choices about what and where to study.</p>

1037605

	answering body	Department for Education
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Review of Post-18 Education and Funding is being informed by independent advice from an expert panel, chaired by Philip Augar.</p><p> </p><p>The panel have undertaken an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement and evidence gathering. They will report in 2019 before government concludes the overall review.</p><p>The government will want to move swiftly to improve the post-18 system once the review has concluded. Implementation timetables will depend on the review’s findings and recommendations and the legislative and operational requirements.</p><p> </p>