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1091620

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: USA
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the impact of cash-for-student-places granted by the University of Southern California and other major US colleagues on the mutual recognition of qualifications and standards with equivalent UK institutions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Patten
	uin	HL14665
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2019 answer text <p>The UK has a robust system for the recognition of international qualifications. The UK National Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) provides expert advice on behalf of the government on the comparability of international qualifications with those of the UK. Our universities and colleges are supported by the UK NARIC service in making decisions on the eligibility of applicants for places in their courses.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 29/03/2019 12:06:19 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

1091634

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the number of overseas students attending academic institutions in the UK continues to grow in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL14678
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2019 answer text <p>The government fully recognises the important contribution that international students make, both economically and culturally, to the UK’s higher education sector.</p><p>On 16 March, the government published its international education strategy, attached, setting out its ambition to increase the value of education exports to £35 billion per year and to increase the total number of international students hosted by UK universities to 600,000 by 2030.</p><p>To provide certainty to prospective EU students, we have confirmed that EU nationals starting courses in the academic year 2019/20 or before will continue to be eligible for undergraduate, postgraduate and Advanced Learner Loan financial support from Student Finance England for the duration of their course, provided that they meet the residency requirements.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 29/03/2019 12:06:54 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie attachment 1 file name HL14678_International_Education_Strategy.pdf title HL14678_International_Education_Strategy
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1087587

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Erasmus+ Programme
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 11 March (HL Deb, cols 831–3), what progress has been made on discussions about a domestic alternative to Erasmus+; and what plans they have to consult with higher education organisations about any such scheme.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe
	uin	HL14501
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2019 answer text <p>The government values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a global Britain. We are open to participation in the successor Erasmus+ scheme (2021/27) though this will ultimately be subject to wider UK-EU negotiations on the future partnership. We are considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives. As part of this process, the Department for Education (DfE) is listening to stakeholder views. We have also noted and are considering the recommendations from the recent House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee on the future of Erasmus+.</p><p>Further to this, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, Science and Innovation meet with representatives of universities regularly to discuss the DfE agenda, and that has included the question of international exchanges following the UK’s exit from the EU.</p><p>As we progress our thinking and work on our plans for the possibility of participation in the successor Erasmus+ programme or a domestic alternative, we will continue to engage with and seek the views of sector stakeholders, among others.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 22/03/2019 14:52:33 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	2471 label Biography information for Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe

1087595

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Post-18 Education and Funding Review
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions have taken place, or are planned, with HM Treasury regarding the balancing of funding between colleges and universities as a result of the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding.
	tabling member printed	Lord Watson of Invergowrie
	uin	HL14508
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2019 answer text <p>The review is taking a systemic view of provision and funding across the post-18 education and funding landscape. The lead departments, including Her Majesty’s Treasury, are continuing to work together to make progress with the review so we can deliver a post-18 education system that is accessible to all, delivers the skills that the country needs and is value for money for both the taxpayer and students.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 22/03/2019 14:59:28 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	1241 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Invergowrie

1083407

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing the funding available for agricultural courses where they contain significant STEM elements.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Byford
	uin	HL14290
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The government already provides funding via the Office for Students to support subjects where the costs of teaching exceed the income that providers receive through tuition fees. This includes agricultural courses with elements of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Current rates of high-cost funding are included in the ‘Office for Students: Guide to funding 2018-19’, attached.</p><p>Future funding for higher education will be announced in the forthcoming Spending Review following the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, which is currently underway.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 20/03/2019 17:55:02 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie attachment 1 file name HL14290_OfS_Guide_to_Funding_2018_to_2019.pdf title HL14290_OfS_Guide_to_Funding_2018_2019
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

1083408

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Distance Learning: Rural Areas
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to increase the availability of distance learning in rural areas where transport availability is difficult.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Byford
	uin	HL14291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>Distance learning offers excellent possibilities to open up choice and opportunity to people from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those from rural areas, and the government believes it should be widely available at a range of educational levels. Student support for tuition at higher education (HE) level is available for students who want to study on a part-time basis or by distance learning.</p><p> </p><p>The National Retraining Scheme (NRS) is an ambitious, far-reaching programme to drive adult retraining. It will help individuals to respond to the changing labour market, redirect their careers and secure better, more secure jobs of the future.</p><p> </p><p>To inform the design of the scheme, the Flexible Learning Fund is supporting 31 pilot projects across England with a total value of £11.4 million. The projects are designing and testing innovative, flexible learning that is easy to access. The pilots are aimed at adults who are working, or who are returning to work, with either low or intermediate skills. A range of delivery methods are being tested; most of the projects will make use of on-line technologies to a degree, as well as ‘blended learning’ that combines online and face-to-face learning.</p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has previously announced that Educational Technology (Edtech) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be a key feature of the NRS. Technological innovation and development, including in AI, will play an important part in improving the learning experience, design and effectiveness of online training.</p><p> </p><p>The government has committed up to £30 million of funding. Working closely with the technology industry we will look to innovate, test and develop ways in which technological solutions can directly answer the specific needs of NRS users alongside all learners. Details of the funding will be announced in spring 2019.</p><p> </p><p>It is only right that HE providers offer a range of options which suit all students, and that students have a real choice about where and how to study. The Review of Post-18 Education and Funding will consider how we can encourage and support more learning that is flexible, like part-time and distance learning, and enable more people to study close to where they live. The review will report later this year.</p><p> </p><p>The regulatory system is also a means of opening up HE to a more diverse range of provision and therefore to a wider range of students. The Higher Education and Research Act, which came into law in 2017, placed a duty on the Office for Students to consider other modes of study when promoting choice and opportunity in the provision of HE.</p><p> </p><p>Through recent HE reforms, we are working to support and encourage high quality new and innovative provision that has a strong offer for students, helping providers to navigate the regulatory system and we will continue to work with new providers to tackle any barriers that might arise.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 20/03/2019 17:57:19 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

1081642

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 28 February (HL13946), whether there are regulations that cover the reversal of prior conditional offers of places to students who were subsequently deemed to have satisfied previously advertised admissions criteria for their intended course; if so, what they are; and whether recommendations were made to the Office for Students to the effect that students whose offer of a place on their intended course had been reversed should instead be unconditionally offered a place on a different course at the same institution, for which the student concerned had not originally applied.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL14175
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2019 answer text <p>There are no such regulations, and no recommendations have been made to the Office for Students (OfS) to that effect.</p><p>In relation to undergraduate admissions, once an offer has been made and accepted by a prospective student, a contract is formed between the higher education provider and the student. This is certainly the view of the Competition and Markets Authority, as set out on page 31 of its guidance to higher education providers on consumer law dated 12 March 2015, and it is already a condition of registration imposed by the OfS that registered providers must give due regard to relevant guidance on how to comply with consumer law. Given this, we do not see the need for any additional regulation to protect students against the potential withdrawal of an offer they have already accepted.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 18/03/2019 11:30:19 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1078958

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 3 December 2018 (HL11550), what further discussions have taken place between the Department for Education and the Russell Group of universities regarding adding music to their list of facilitating subjects; and what progress has been made in that regard.
	tabling member printed	Lord Black of Brentwood
	uin	HL14081
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>This government recognises the importance of arts subjects, including music. Universities are autonomous from government and consequently control the criteria used to determine admissions. We are aware that the Russell Group, which comprises 24 of the UK’s leading universities, publish guidance designed to assist applicants in identifying the A level subjects most likely to facilitate entry to one of their member universities. From engagement with the Russell Group, we understand they are currently reviewing their guidance.</p><p>The ability for students to make informed choices is at the heart of our recent reforms to higher education. We are increasing the information available to students to ensure they can make informed choices about what and where to study.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 11/03/2019 15:05:34 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4171 label Biography information for Lord Black of Brentwood

1077036

	registered interest
	date	25/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Higher Education: Correspondence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 20 February (HL13570), what regulations are in place to ensure that Higher Education institutions maintain high standards of accuracy and transparency in correspondence with external stakeholders, especially correspondence relating to offers for study on a deferred basis.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL13960
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2019 answer text <p>While higher education institutions have autonomy over admissions, the vast majority of undergraduate applications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are handled by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) on behalf of those institutions. As the shared admissions service, UCAS offers support to universities and colleges in this area through their services. It is also in institutions’ interests to keep accurate and transparent records of applications and admission. The Office for Students, as the independent regulator of higher education, also has a legal responsibility to ensure that registered institutions are acting in the best interests of students, including support in access to higher education.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 06/03/2019 13:52:14 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1064782

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 20 February (HL13570), whether the recommendations they made to the Office for Students to reduce the numbers of unconditional offers included reversing prior offers of places to students who already satisfied previously advertised admissions criteria.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL13946
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Education has not made any recommendations to the Office for Students (OfS) to reverse prior offers of places to students who already satisfied previously advertised admissions criteria.</p><p>We have made clear to the OfS that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action where an institution cannot justify their rising numbers of unconditional offers. However, we recognise that where a student already has relevant entry level qualifications, and for some creative arts subjects, unconditional offers may be justified. Admissions are a matter of institutional autonomy but we expect universities to make their admissions criteria fair, accessible and transparent.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 28/02/2019 17:50:27 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool