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759605

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2017
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Electoral Registration Officers: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for electoral registration officers.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	10117
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2017 answer text <p>The majority of electoral registration activity is funded by local authorities across England,<br>Scotland and Wales. Since 2014 the Cabinet Office has provided funding to LAs to cover<br>the additional costs generated by the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration,<br>including a second bidding round after the canvass if initial funding is insufficient to cover<br>costs incurred over the year.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 18/10/2017 14:32:18 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

759606

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2017
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Electoral Register
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK voter registration system.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	10165
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2017 answer text <p>The most recent formal assessment of register quality, based on the 1 December 2015 registers<br>and published in July 2016, found that individual electoral registration boosted the accuracy of the<br>register by 4 per cent</p><p>Alongside individual registration, the successful introduction of online registration has transformed<br>the way citizens can register. It now takes just a few minutes to apply to register and nearly 30<br>million citizens have taken the opportunity to do so in the last three years. In large part thanks to<br>online registration, the parliamentary register used for the 2017 general election was the largest<br>ever at nearly 47 million</p><p>2.9 million applications were submitted between the calling of the election and the registration<br>deadline date, with 622,000 applications coming on deadline day itself</p><p>The government has continued to modernise the registration process and to make it more<br>accessible, as underscored, for example by recent policy commitments on making it easier for<br>survivors of domestic abuse to register anonymously.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 20/10/2017 14:54:41 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1027269

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Higher Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with universities on the potential effect on the higher education sector of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	202704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>​​The Department for Education regularly engages with a wide range of higher education (HE) stakeholders – involving universities and representative bodies such as Universities UK – at both ministerial and official levels to ensure we fully understand the sector’s priorities for EU exit, including in a no deal scenario.</p><p><br>This engagement includes the monthly High Level Stakeholder Working Group on EU Exit, Universities, Research and Innovation, which I chair as Minister for Higher Education and Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation.</p><p>​ <br>This group brings together voices from across the HE and research sector, and is also attended by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union. We value this close engagement and we want to maintain a dialogue with the sector as discussions on the UK’s future relationship with the EU progress.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 20/12/2018 15:43:24 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1027274

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Overseas Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate his Department has made of the net economic impact international students have on the economy of (a) Coventry (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	202707
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Education estimates that the export income to the UK from international students in the form of tuition fees and living expenditure is around £11.5 billion – this analysis is not disaggregated at a local level. The department has not, however, estimated the net economic impact of international students in the UK (nationally or at a regional or local level).</p><p> </p><p>​The Migration Advisory Committee’s report, ‘International Students in the UK’1, published in September 2018, found that international students make a positive economic contribution to the UK, and that there is no evidence to suggest they negatively impact local communities. The report found that where international students do study, they support local employment, and have a direct, positive impact on the UK through tuition fees and living expenditure.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migration-advisory-committee-mac-report-international-students" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migration-advisory-committee-mac-report-international-students</a>.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 20/12/2018 16:25:47 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1047771

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Students: Mental Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the mental health and well-being of postgraduate students in universities.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	212316
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2019 answer text <p>Mental health is a priority for this government, which is why the government is working closely with Universities UK on embedding the Step Change programme within the sector. Step Change calls on higher education leaders to adopt mental health as a strategic priority. Step Change also advocates a whole-institution approach to transform cultures and embed mental health initiatives beyond student services teams.</p><p>The former Higher Education Funding Council for England's Catalyst Fund also provided £1.5 million for 17 projects to improve the mental health of postgraduate research students. The Office for Students (OfS) is working with Research England to deliver this scheme.</p><p>This investment and the ongoing work of the OfS will support a range of activities. It will develop new practice for the pastoral support of postgraduate research students, and enhance training for their supervisors and other staff. Postgraduate research has different expectations and working practices to undergraduate work, so it will also help students adjust to the change.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 30/01/2019 15:39:00 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore previous answer version 98316 answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1052227

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Admissions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions his Department has held with representatives of UK universities on the use of unconditional offers for undergraduate courses.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	215082
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2019 answer text <p>We have made it clear to universities that we are concerned with the recent rapid increases in the numbers of unconditional offers being made. We have, consequently, asked the higher education regulator, the Office for Students, to review the practice and, where it identifies adverse impacts on students, to take action in accordance with its regulatory powers.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 05/02/2019 14:43:01 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1077574

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Students: Sexual Harassment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions his Department has had with universities on steps they can take to reduce levels of sexual misconduct towards students.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	226034
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2019 answer text <p>The government takes any form of violence and sexual harassment, including in higher education, extremely seriously. The department meets with individual universities and representative bodies on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues relating to student welfare. In addition, the department holds regular meetings with Universities UK (UUK) and the Office for Students (OfS) specifically on matters of sexual harassment and misconduct in higher education, including in relation to progress on the implementation of the recommendations of the UUK Taskforce’s on sexual violence, harassment and hate crime affecting university students.</p><p>Since the publication of these recommendations in 2016, a total investment of £4.7 million, match funded by higher education providers, has been invested by the OfS and its predecessor, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, in 119 safeguarding projects; £2.45 million of which was given to 63 projects specifically focussed on tackling sexual and gender-based violence in higher education. This work remains a priority for the department, which is why my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State’s guidance for the financial year 2019-20 asks the OfS to continue to support the student experience, including a focus on harassment and hate crime.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 04/03/2019 12:16:37 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1092121

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Assessments: Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to prevent (a) secondary and (b) university students from using essay-writing and other cheat services.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	234653
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2019 answer text <p>The use of companies that sell bespoke essays to students who pass the work off as their own undermines the reputation of the education system in this country, and devalues the hard work of those succeeding on their own merit.</p><p> </p><p>The government has a clear expectation that educational institutions do everything in their power to prevent students being tempted by these companies. In a university context that may be through introducing initiatives such as honour codes, and making sure their students are aware of the severe consequences they face if they are caught cheating.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the department will be publishing an Education Technology strategy in the spring which will include encouraging technology companies to identify how anti-cheating software can tackle the growth of essay mills and stay one step ahead of the cheats.</p><p> </p><p>The government is supporting the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to put pressure on technology companies who readily facilitate the use of essay mills. This supports and furthers the 2017 efforts of the QAA and National Union of Students and Universities UK who responded to the government’s request to develop guidance for higher education providers on how to combat the threat of “contract cheating”.</p><p> </p><p>The Office for Students is the independent regulator of higher education in England. Through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the government has given the Office for Students the power to take action if higher education providers are found to be, in any way, complicit in cheating. This includes imposing fines or ultimately de-registration, the highest possible punishment. The government remains open to the future need for additional legislation, and will continue to investigate all options available.</p><p> </p><p>The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is the independent regulator of qualifications in England for secondary school pupils. In reformed GCSEs, AS and A levels Ofqual have significantly reduced the use of non-exam assessment - primarily permitting it only where the prescribed subject content cannot be assessed within an examination. This means that - in most subjects - a pupil could not use an essay writing service to gain an unfair advantage in an assessment.</p><p> </p><p>In all GCSEs, AS and A levels, Ofqual rules require exam boards to do all they can to prevent malpractice and maladministration when developing, delivering and awarding regulated qualifications, to investigate allegations and suspicions of malpractice when they arise and to impose appropriate sanctions when malpractice is confirmed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 25/03/2019 17:57:03 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1093463

	registered interest
	date	22/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the financial sustainability of universities currently operating with a deficit.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	235738
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member for Coventry South to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne on 18 February 2019, to question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2clords&amp;uin=220252" target="_blank">220252</a>.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 27/03/2019 16:09:20 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1110356

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Students: Plagiarism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to prevent essay mills businesses from targeting university students.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	242015
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>The use of companies that sell bespoke essays to students who pass the work off as their own undermines the reputation of the education system in this country and devalues the hard work of those succeeding on their own merit.</p><p> </p><p>The government has a clear expectation that educational institutions do everything in their power to prevent students being tempted by these companies. In a university context that may be through introducing initiatives such as honour codes, as well as making sure their students are aware of the severe consequences they face if they are caught cheating.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the department published an Education Technology strategy on 3 April which challenges technology companies to identify how anti-cheating software can tackle the growth of essay mills and stay one step ahead of the cheats. This strategy can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/realising-the-potential-of-technology-in-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/realising-the-potential-of-technology-in-education</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The government is supporting the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to put pressure on technology companies who readily facilitate the use of essay mills.</p><p> </p><p>On 20 March, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, challenged PayPal to stop processing payments for ‘essay mills’ as part of an accelerated drive to preserve and champion the quality of the UK’s world-leading higher education system.</p><p> </p><p>PayPal is now working with businesses associated with essay-writing services to ensure its platform is not used to facilitate deceptive and fraudulent practices in education.</p><p> </p><p>Google and YouTube have also responded by removing hundreds of advertisements for essay writing services and promotional content from their sites.</p><p> </p><p>This supports and furthers the 2017 efforts of the QAA and National Union of Students and Universities UK who responded to the government’s request to develop guidance for higher education providers on how to combat the threat of “contract cheating”.</p><p> </p><p>This guidance includes advice to higher education providers to consider blocking access to essay mills from computers and Wi-Fi systems on their property and disrupting essay mills’ opportunities to advertise by asking pamphlet distributers to leave their campuses and using their own social media and email accounts to contact their students, warning them about any detected contact from particular sites and companies and re-stressing the need for academic integrity.</p><p> </p><p>The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. Through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the government has given the OfS the power to take action if higher education providers are found to be, in any way, complicit in cheating. This includes imposing fines or ultimately de-registration, the highest possible punishment. The government remains open to the future need for additional legislation and will continue to investigate all options available.</p><p> </p><p>We are determined to beat the cheats who threaten the integrity of our higher education system.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 11/04/2019 15:59:58 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham