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1690735

registered interest
date	21/02/2024
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Biodiversity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill on the global biodiversity framework.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	15055
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2024 answer text <p>The UK is committed to implementing the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework which aims to halt and reverse global biodiversity loss and contains a target to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has a comprehensive legal framework of environmental protection measures for offshore oil and gas activities. Section 12 of the Impact Assessment published alongside the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill sets out how the environmental principles of the Environment Act have been considered in the development of this Bill.</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 28/02/2024 12:17:00 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1690358

registered interest
date	20/02/2024
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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of ending funding for the UK Council for International Student Affairs on the adequacy of support available to international students.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	14852
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2024 answer text <p>The government appreciates the significant economic and cultural contribution that international students make to UK higher education.</p><p>The government remains committed to the ambitions set out in its International Education Strategy, including the aim to host 600,000 international students in the UK per year by 2030. The government is proud to have met this ambition two years running.</p><p>Universities also offer a range of dedicated support to their international students before they arrive in the UK, on arrival and during their studies. Organisations such as the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) and the British Council continue to provide information to international students entering the UK.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 28/02/2024 11:39:46 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1690022

registered interest
date	19/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Workplace Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional financial support to higher education institutions to help meet the cost of the teachers’ pension scheme.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	14554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2024 answer text <p>Higher education providers (HEPs) are autonomous bodies, and the government does not fund the cost of changes to the scheme for them in the same way as for schools and colleges. The department expects HEPs to continue to adapt to uncertainties and financial risks to protect their longer-term sustainability.</p><p>The government will continue to work with the higher education sector to explore how it can best support those providers affected, including planning effectively for implementation. The department is also keen to maintain an ongoing dialogue with HEPs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 27/02/2024 12:47:04 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1690034

registered interest
date	19/02/2024
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Marine Environment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Government's target of protecting 30% of UK waters for nature by 2030 on her Department's criteria for oil and gas development permissions.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	14555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2024 answer text <p>A comprehensive framework of environmental protection measures has been developed in the UK to minimise the impact of offshore oil and gas activities and this is embodied in the relevant legislation. Development proposals for oil and gas are a matter for the relevant regulators - the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) and the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED). As part of the regulatory process, OPRED considers the Environmental Impact Assessment for development proposals to ensure that the impact on the environment, including marine protected areas and relevant targets is taken into account.</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 27/02/2024 07:31:32 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1688184

registered interest
date	07/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report entitled Financial Sustainability of the UK Higher Education sector, published in January 2024.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	13573
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2024 answer text <p>This response assumes that the report referenced is PwC’s UK Higher Education (HE) Financial Sustainability Report, which was commissioned by Universities UK. Departmental officials have met with Universities UK to discuss the findings of this report.</p><p>The PwC report cites similar risks to those identified by the Office for Students (OfS), which is the independent regulator of HE in England responsible for monitoring the financial sustainability of registered HE providers. The latest report by the OfS on the financial health of the sector, which was published in May 2023, can be accessed at: <a href="https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/0b7d9daa-d6c7-477e-a0b2-b90985d0f935/financial-sustainability-report-2023-updated-june-2023.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/0b7d9daa-d6c7-477e-a0b2-b90985d0f935/financial-sustainability-report-2023-updated-june-2023.pdf</a></p><p>The department continues to work closely with the OfS, HE representative bodies and other government departments, as appropriate, to understand the financial sustainability of the sector.</p><p>In the aforementioned OfS report on the financial health of the HE sector, the OfS stated that the overall aggregate financial position of the sector is sound. However, there continues to be significant variation between individual providers, both across the sector and within peer groups.</p><p>The department consistently assesses the potential implications for any policies that could impact the HE sector, including financially, and particularly with respect to the interests of students.</p><p>It is important to note that HE providers are autonomous and, as such, it is for them to decide effective business models in order to adapt to financial risks. All HE providers should be stress testing their financial plans to ensure they are fit for purpose and that they do not rely on optimism around student recruitment.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 19/02/2024 17:03:57 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1688185

registered interest
date	07/02/2024
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 she is taking to ensure that funding allocated to universities for teaching for 2024-25 sufficiently enables institutions to support their students.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	13574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2024 answer text <p>The Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) is funding which is supplied by the government on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education (HE). This funding also includes subjects that are expensive to deliver, such as science and engineering, students who are at risk of discontinuing their studies, and world-leading specialist providers.</p><p> </p><p>​The department is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in additional funding over the three-year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25. This is to support high-quality teaching and facilities including funding for science and engineering, subjects that support the NHS, and degree apprenticeships. This includes the largest increase in government funding for the HE sector to support students and teaching in over a decade.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2023/24 financial year, over half of the total £1,454 million SPG recurrent funding budget is being directed towards the provision of high-cost subjects that support the NHS and wider healthcare policy (for example, medicine and dentistry), science, engineering, and technology subjects, and specific labour market needs.</p><p> </p><p>There is also £276 million of Student Premium and mental health funding available this academic year, 2023/24, to support students who need additional help, including disadvantaged students. This funding complements the help universities are providing through their own bursary, scholarship and hardship support schemes. The department is now making a further £10 million of one-off support available to support student mental health and hardship funding. It will continue to liaise with the Office for Students on the impacts of cost-of-living pressures.</p><p> </p><p>Over the three-year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25, the department is also providing £450 million in capital funding to invest in teaching and learning facilities which meet the government’s strategic priorities.</p><p> </p><p>The next SPG allocations will be announced ahead of the 2024/25 academic year.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon grouped question UIN 13575 question first answered 19/02/2024 16:59:08 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1688186

registered interest
date	07/02/2024
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 she is taking to ensure that funding allocated to universities for teaching for 2024-25 enables institutions to provide high quality education that meets national skills needs.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	13575
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2024 answer text <p>The Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) is funding which is supplied by the government on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education (HE). This funding also includes subjects that are expensive to deliver, such as science and engineering, students who are at risk of discontinuing their studies, and world-leading specialist providers.</p><p> </p><p>​The department is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in additional funding over the three-year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25. This is to support high-quality teaching and facilities including funding for science and engineering, subjects that support the NHS, and degree apprenticeships. This includes the largest increase in government funding for the HE sector to support students and teaching in over a decade.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2023/24 financial year, over half of the total £1,454 million SPG recurrent funding budget is being directed towards the provision of high-cost subjects that support the NHS and wider healthcare policy (for example, medicine and dentistry), science, engineering, and technology subjects, and specific labour market needs.</p><p> </p><p>There is also £276 million of Student Premium and mental health funding available this academic year, 2023/24, to support students who need additional help, including disadvantaged students. This funding complements the help universities are providing through their own bursary, scholarship and hardship support schemes. The department is now making a further £10 million of one-off support available to support student mental health and hardship funding. It will continue to liaise with the Office for Students on the impacts of cost-of-living pressures.</p><p> </p><p>Over the three-year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25, the department is also providing £450 million in capital funding to invest in teaching and learning facilities which meet the government’s strategic priorities.</p><p> </p><p>The next SPG allocations will be announced ahead of the 2024/25 academic year.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon grouped question UIN 13574 question first answered 19/02/2024 16:59:08 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield