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1458374

registered interest
date	19/04/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Loans
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the impact on graduate disposable incomes of the increase in student loan interest rates.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	155860
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2022 answer text <p>The government has not yet made a decision on what interest rates will be applied to student loans from September 2022. We will be considering all options over the coming months and will confirm in due course the rates to apply from 1 September.</p><p> </p><p>Changes to student loan interest rates will not increase monthly student loan repayments. Monthly repayments are calculated as a fixed percentage of earnings above the relevant repayment threshold and do not change based on interest rates or the amount borrowed. If income is below the relevant repayment threshold, or a borrower is not earning, then they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is written off after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower. There are no commercial loans that offer this level of protection.</p><p> </p><p>Over a lifetime, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has made clear that changes in interest rates have a limited long-term impact on repayments. Interest rates affect lifetime repayments only for those who will repay their loans in full within the loan term (or who come very close to doing so), principally high earners and/or those with small loan balances. Currently only 23% of borrowers who enter full-time higher education (HE) next year are forecast to repay their loans in full.</p><p> </p><p>To further protect borrowers, the government, by law, must cap maximum student loan rates to ensure the interest rate charged on the loan is in line with market rates for comparable unsecured personal loans. The government monitors student loan rates against the Bank of England’s data series for the effective interest rates on new and existing unsecured personal loans.</p><p> </p><p>We announced in February 2022 that we will be reducing interest rates for new borrowers and so from 2023/24, new graduates will not, in real terms, repay more than they borrow. Alongside our wider reforms, this will help to make sure that students from all walks of life can continue to receive the highest-quality education from our world-leading HE sector.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 25/04/2022 10:43:14 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1457416

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Gifts and Endowments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to introduce a register of overseas donations for universities.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	154247
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2022 answer text <p>As my right hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has stated, we are further exploring the issues raised in the proposed Report Stage amendment to the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, seeking to introduce transparency and public reporting of foreign donations to universities.</p><p>I will provide an update on the outcome of this work when the Bill returns to the House of Commons.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 21/04/2022 15:27:45 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1355810

registered interest
date	15/09/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Fees and Charges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether British nationals living in the EEA and Switzerland will be required to pay international fees at universities in the UK or UK university home fees.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	50120
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2021 answer text <p>UK nationals and their family members living in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020 will generally be eligible for home fee status, tuition fee and maintenance support from Student Finance England for courses starting on or after 1 August 2021 and before 1 January 2028 if they meet the following conditions:</p><ul><li>they were living in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020 (or have moved back to the UK immediately after living in the EEA or Switzerland); and</li><li>they have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the last three years; and</li><li>they have lived continuously in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar between 31 December 2020 and the start of the course.</li></ul><p>This was announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 4 April 2019: <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-04-04/HCWS1483/" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-04-04/HCWS1483/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 21/09/2021 15:10:09 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1351075

registered interest
date	18/08/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional financial support he is providing to universities to increase covid-19 testing capacity for the academic year 2021-22.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	41104
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2021 answer text <p>Asymptomatic Tests will continue to be provided free of charge by NHS Test and Trace to Higher Education Providers for testing on return and home testing until the end of September when this will be reviewed subject to the latest public health advice. Students should test twice on their arrival at an on-site testing facility or at home. Students should then continue to test twice a week until the end of September.</p><p>Higher Education providers have been supported with the recovery of costs for the set up and running of asymptomatic testing sites. Cost recovery for tests performed at test sites will continue until the end of September, when ongoing testing arrangements will be reviewed.</p><p>Home testing will be delivered through a collect model, meaning that students and staff are advised to collect their home testing kits from a location on campus, which could be an existing asymptomatic testing site or any other site considered suitable. Please note there is no cost recovery for the set up and running of LFD collect sites, which are not otherwise testing sites.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 07/09/2021 14:23:02 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1351087

registered interest
date	18/08/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether international students studying at UK universities in the 2021-22 academic year will be required to be double vaccinated with a covid-19 vaccine that is approved for use in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	41105
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2021 answer text <p>Although there is no requirement to be vaccinated in order to study at university in England, it is important that students engage with the vaccination programme to protect themselves and those around them and to break chains of transmission.</p><p>International students can be vaccinated in the UK free of charge. They should be encouraged to register with a GP and get an NHS number. They can also request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as unregistered patients through local GP practices.</p><p>International students must pay regard to and comply with border measures that have been introduced to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19, available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-quarantine-when-you-arrive-in-england" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-quarantine-when-you-arrive-in-england</a>. They should refer to the latest information on country risk levels which is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england</a>.</p><p>NHS England has produced Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for students, which includes information about vaccinations that international students might have received before coming to England. The FAQ is available here: <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/covid-19-vaccination-programme-faqs-on-second-doses/" target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/covid-19-vaccination-programme-faqs-on-second-doses/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 07/09/2021 09:33:19 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1316766

registered interest
date	20/05/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Sexual Offences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the levels of sexual harassment and assault at universities; and what steps he is taking to tackle that matter.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	4649
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2021 answer text <p>Any form of harassment, violence or sexual assault is abhorrent and unacceptable anywhere in society, including in our universities which should be safe and inclusive environments. The government urges university leaders to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to all harassment and sexual misconduct and improve the systems for reporting incidents.</p><p>Higher education (HE) providers have clear responsibilities, including under the Equality Act 2010, and should have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law, and to investigate and swiftly address reports of sexual misconduct. Any student who feels that their complaint has not been dealt with appropriately or satisfactorily can escalate their complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education. Students also can and should inform the police if they believe the law has been broken. The government expects providers to support students in making a decision about the way forward, including whether to make a report to the police.</p><p>It is important that providers break down barriers to reporting and that students feel safe and able to report incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence. The government urges HE providers to collect comprehensive accurate data on harassment incidents, and continue to break down barriers to reporting, in spite of the potential for this to lead to initial spikes in reported instances.</p><p>The Office for Students (OfS) statement of expectations on harassment and sexual misconduct was published on 19 April 2021 and is a useful tool for providers, who should ensure their policies and processes reflect the expectations set out within the statement. As part of its next steps on harassment and hate crime, the OfS has indicated that it will consider options for connecting the statement of expectations to its conditions of registration.</p><p>The government has been working with and through the OfS and Universities UK (UUK) in recent years to improve the way the HE sector tackles sexual harassment and misconduct in HE. The department holds regular meetings with UUK and the OfS specifically on matters of sexual harassment and misconduct in HE, including in relation to progress on the implementation of the recommendations of the UUK 2016 Changing the Culture Framework. This framework was published by the UUK Harassment and Hate Crime Taskforce, which was set up in September 2015 at the government’s request.</p><p>Since 2016, a total investment of £4.7 million, match funded by HE providers, has been invested by the OfS and its predecessor, funding 119 safeguarding projects. £2.45 million of this was given to 63 projects specifically focused on tackling sexual and gender-based violence in higher education.</p><p>Despite these efforts, evidence (including testimonials on the Everyone’s Invited website) demonstrates that a significant change is still needed. The government is deeply concerned to see the disturbing testimonies which reference experiences within HE settings. The government will continue to work closely with the sector and its regulator, the OfS, to ensure students feel safe within HE providers, and that providers have robust policies and procedures in place to address incidents.</p><p>The government remains committed to working with the sector to prevent and tackle sexual harassment and assault.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 25/05/2021 15:50:51 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1284197

registered interest
date	04/02/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Loans
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2021 to Question 137261, whether the Government plans to publish further guidance on this matter; and whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential effect of interest-payable loans as a barrier to Muslim students.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	149309
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2021 answer text <p>The government remains committed to ensuring that all individuals with the potential to benefit can access higher education and will provide an update on Alternative Student Finance in due course.</p><p>The government undertook equalities assessments on access to student finance for individuals of Muslim faith in November 2015 when introducing regulations to move from a system of maintenance grants to loans. Further analysis was published in May 2016 during the passage of the Higher Education and Research Bill. The assessments can be found here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482110/bis-15-639-student-finance-equality-analysis.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482110/bis-15-639-student-finance-equality-analysis.pdf</a> and <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524226/bis-16-281-he-research-bill-equality-analysis.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524226/bis-16-281-he-research-bill-equality-analysis.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 09/02/2021 13:40:06 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1276352

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Loans
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of to what extent the interest payable on student loans is a potential barrier to Muslim students.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	137261
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2021 answer text <p>The government assessed the merits of a sharia-compliant alternative finance product, including the views of students and other stakeholders, as part of the response to the consultation published in September 2014. The consultation response is at the link below:</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/349899/bis-14-984-government-response-to-a-consultation-on-a-sharia-compliant-alternative-finance-product.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/349899/bis-14-984-government-response-to-a-consultation-on-a-sharia-compliant-alternative-finance-product.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 20/01/2021 12:37:50 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1194372

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Coronavirus
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 university students with accommodation they can no longer use as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	45348
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>As my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have both made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by Covid-19.</p><p>We expect universities to communicate clearly with residential students on rents for this period and to administer accommodation provision in a fair manner. A number of universities and large accommodation providers have waived rents for the summer term or released students early from their contracts.</p><p>Students will continue to receive scheduled payments of loans towards their living costs for the remainder of the current 2019/20 academic year.</p><p>Students who are tenants with individual private landlords can discuss with them the possibility of an early release from their tenancy agreement. Tenants without an agreed release are still liable for their rent and should pay this as usual.</p><p>If students face financial hardship and struggle to pay rent, <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fguidance%2Fgovernment-support-available-for-landlords-and-renters-reflecting-the-current-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak&amp;data=02%7C01%7CGrace.Duffy%40communities.gov.uk%7C8e81159b67a9480cbad908d7f2734a28%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637244449294178559&amp;sdata=ENT5MlUNieKIgENn3mmaoHYJfZizMQ4kqUhkxKdk%2BJE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">support is available</a>. In the first instance, they should speak to their landlord if they think they will have difficulty meeting a rental payment. In this unique context, tenants and landlords are encouraged to work together to put in place a rent payment scheme.</p><p>The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds affected by the Covid-19 outbreak: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds</a>. This sets out the CMA’s view on how the law operates to help consumers understand their rights and help businesses treat their customers fairly. Students may be entitled to refunds from accommodation providers, depending on the terms of their contract and their particular circumstances. If students need help, organisations such as Citizens Advice offer a free service, providing information and support.</p><p>If a student thinks that their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: <a href="https://www.thesac.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.thesac.org.uk/</a>; <a href="https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain" target="_blank">https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain</a> and: <a href="https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml" target="_blank">https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 20/05/2020 13:49:50 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1187252

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has had discussions with the university sector on the potential for rent refunds for students leaving campuses following the suspension of teaching as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	33720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2020 answer text <p>We expect universities to communicate clearly with residential students on rents for this period and administer accommodation provision in a fair manner. Department officials, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and I are in regular contact with universities and their representative bodies to learn about what they are doing to support students at this time and to guide as appropriate.</p><p>We are aware that a number of universities have waived rents for their students who were due to be staying in university halls for the summer term but will now not be doing so.</p><p>It is important to stress that accommodation providers should not have instructed any student to return home. If any accommodation provider did formally instruct a student to leave the property then it would be unacceptable to continue to charge student rents.</p><p>Students will continue to receive scheduled payments of loans towards their living costs for the remainder of the current, 2019/20, academic year. I have asked institutions to pay particular attention to the additional financial hardships that are being faced by student staff who have been reliant on income from campus-based jobs at this time. Students with a part-time employment contract should speak to their employer about the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses" target="_blank">Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme</a>, which has been set up to help pay staff wages and keep people in employment.</p><p>To ensure universities can support students who need it most, the Office for Students has relaxed rules on the student premium to top up hardship funds.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 06/05/2020 16:45:24 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan previous answer version 16472 answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West