(St Albans) (LD)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Education,
if he will make a statement on the return date given to
university students and his Department’s plans to provide
financial compensation to university students for lost teaching
and rent during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Minister for Universities ()
This Government recognise just how difficult the past year has
been for students. Since the arrival of new and highly
transmissible variants, we have had to adopt a cautious approach,
in line with the wider restrictions. In January, we enabled only
students on critical key worker courses to return, and from 8
March we allowed practical and creative students to resume
face-to-face teaching. This week, we have announced that the
final tranche of students will be able to return on 17 May,
subject to step 3 of the road map. This decision was made, as
promised, following a review during the Easter holidays. I
understand the frustrations of students and parents; the pandemic
has disproportionately impacted our young. That is one of the key
reasons why we have worked with universities to ensure that
education carried on throughout and that students can graduate on
time.
Many things are indeed opening up in step 2, but most are outside
and social mixing remains focused outside, and they do not
involve the formation of new households. We know that, inside,
the risk of transmission increases with the number of people
mixing and the length of time they are together, which is why we
are being cautious until stage 3.
The Office for National Statistics estimates that 23% of students
are yet to return to their termtime accommodation, which still
leaves up to 500,000 students yet to travel. Throughout the
pandemic, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has
warned of the risk posed by the mass movement of students,
especially given that they form new households.
At the heart of our decision was public health, but also student
wellbeing. The last thing any of us wants is for students to have
to repeatedly self-isolate, as some did last autumn. That would
not only have been damaging to their mental health and wellbeing,
but would have risked the ability to graduate of some students
studying creative and practical subjects.
This decision was taken not in isolation, but as part of the
Government’s overall road map to reopening. Every relaxation—even
those with a low impact and low risk—will have an impact, so we
have to judge the impact of these relaxations cumulatively to
ensure that the road map is irreversible.
The Government do recognise the financial pressures the pandemic
has placed on students in the financial sense, including
accommodation costs. That is why, this week, we have announced an
additional £15 million, on top of the £70 million since last
December and the £256 million of taxpayer funding that we enabled
universities to access for hardship.
It is important to clarify that the exemptions still apply to
students who need to return to their term-time accommodation for
mental health reasons or because of a lack of study space. We
have asked universities to make their facilities available to all
students who are back, to support their mental health and
wellbeing.
I end by assuring the House that I will continue to work closely
with universities so that, together, we can support students, and
especially those who will graduate this year.
[V]
About 36 hours ago, around 1 million students who have still not
returned to university since Christmas were told that they should
not expect to do so until at least 17 May. Before that
announcement, it seemed that the Government had forgotten them
altogether, and now we have proof that they had, because for many
students that date comes after their courses have actually
finished.
This feels like a final, end-of-term insult to university
students, who have had months of not being able to use libraries
or labs, months without taking part in student societies or
extracurricular activities, months of paying rent for
accommodation that they could not use and months without being
able to work, with some falling behind on rent and bills and
needing to feed themselves from food banks. Is it any wonder that
more than 50% of students say their mental health has got worse?
Students must be fairly compensated, both financially for rent
and fees and with support to recover the learning time they have
lost. The Government must more than double the funds for those
facing hardship to £700 million, as suggested by the all-party
parliamentary group for students.
Universities across the country have worked really hard. They
have adapted to deliver courses online and invested considerable
sums in doing so. However, the higher education sector is already
facing huge financial uncertainty, so it is clear that
universities alone cannot be expected to compensate students. The
Government must step in. Will the Minister consider conducting a
rapid review of the impact of the pandemic on university students
and giving that review the powers to make recommendations on how
students should be reimbursed by the Government in financial and
learning terms? Will she consider calls to double the funds
available to students facing financial hardship to £700 million?
Finally, will she say sorry for the Government’s role in wrecking
the last academic year for so many young people?
I will address the hon. Member’s first point regarding 17 May.
She is correct to say that some students will have reached, or
will be approaching, the end of their course. However, a great
number will not, and it is important to give them the opportunity
to get back, for the wider university experience as well.
In regard to monitoring the impact on students, we constantly do
that, and have done so throughout the pandemic, and I will ensure
that we continue to do so. On financial support, we have now
given an additional £85 million, which is targeted at those most
in need and getting the money into their pockets. On the impact
of the pandemic, yes, we all know how challenging it has been and
continues to be for students, and that is why students have had a
disrupted year.
(Harlow) (Con) [V]
In 2018, just 12.3% of the most disadvantaged pupils in England
were accepted into higher education institutions. The Minister’s
passion and mine is to ensure that more people from disadvantaged
backgrounds attend higher education, but does she agree that the
proposal by Hull University to drop the requirement for students
to demonstrate a high-level proficiency in written and spoken
English is entirely the wrong way to go about that? It is
patronising and counterproductive. Is it not better for
universities to work with schools and colleges to ensure that all
pupils reach the required standards of literacy to secure places
on quality degree courses and degree apprenticeships?
I agree with my right hon. Friend; I am appalled by the decision
of some universities to drop literacy standards in
assessments—that is misguided and it is dumbing down standards.
That will never help disadvantaged students. Instead, the answer
is to lift up standards and provide high-quality education. I
assure him that we will act on this, in line with our manifesto
commitments on quality.
(Warwick and Leamington) (Lab)
Last week, there was an exam-room silence from the Government on
when universities would return, with students, their families and
university staff learning from newspapers what was only announced
to this House days later: that many students would not return to
campus until 17 May. Why has this announcement come so late, and
why was it briefed to the newspapers instead of being announced
to those affected? Does the Minister not see that this is deeply
disrespectful to the students and staff alike? For weeks, we have
had students studying technical and creative subjects safely,
thanks to the incredible work of universities and staff, and for
many weeks students have been back in further education settings,
so will the Minister explain why further and higher education
settings have been treated so differently? Her written statement
ignored the work of universities and the existing situation in
colleges, and offered no evidence to support this approach. So
will she tell us what the scientific basis was for this decision,
and will she commit to publishing this advice today, so that she
is at least forthcoming with students and the sector?
The Minister announced a further £15 million this year for
hardship funding. Further support is clearly needed, but, once
again, the Government are simply not working to the scale of the
challenge. The funding offered to students in England is far
smaller than that offered by the Labour Government in Wales. Will
the Minister tell us why her Government believe that students in
England need so much less than those elsewhere? At every stage of
this pandemic, children, young people and students have been an
afterthought for this Government, let down time and again. Will
the Minister finally admit that these young people have been
failed and tell the House what she will do to address it?
I agree with the hon. Gentleman that it has been an extremely
challenging and disruptive year for students, and I assure him
that students have never been and will never be an afterthought
for this Government. In fact, this week we made a statement
regarding the details of the plan for the remainder of students
returning. We conducted a review over the Easter holidays, as we
had publicly announced we would do, and we wanted to maximise the
amount of time we had to review the data. The announcement made
on 5 April was regarding the things that would open up in step 2.
On further education and schools, the difference is that these
youngsters do not go and form new households, nor do they travel
across the country. On the data we have reviewed, we have
considered the latest epidemiology data, alongside public health,
economic, educational and other implications of the return. A
wealth of data, papers and evidence is and will continue to be
published.
(Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) (Con) [V]
I thank my hon. Friend for the extensive time that I know she has
personally devoted to ensuring that students from my constituency
get a fair deal from their universities, on a case-by-case basis.
But given that universities are autonomous and independent of
Government, does she agree that the example set by the best
universities, which have been very proactive in ensuring students
are treated appropriately, should be seen as an example for the
others to follow, so that we ensure that all students who have
not received the services in education or accommodation they paid
for are fairly dealt with by those institutions?
University staff have worked exceptionally hard over the past
year to enable students to continue learning, and I want to take
this opportunity to once again thank them for that. If students
do have concerns, they should raise them with their university,
which has a duty, under consumer rights, to have a transparent
and timely complaints process. They can then escalate that to the
Office of the Independent Adjudicator if they remain unsatisfied
(Lancaster
and Fleetwood) (Lab)
I wonder whether the Universities Minister can help me respond to
a query I have had this morning from a constituent, who asks me
why his siblings can return to in-person teaching in school and
college, he can get a haircut and he can return to his part-time
job in non-essential retail, but he cannot return to his
university to continue his studies in person until after this
academic year of teaching has finished. Student debt after
graduating from an undergraduate degree is, on average, £40,000.
Peter asks me why he is paying £9,250 a year for in-person
teaching that has not materialised this year.
I assure the hon. Member that we are confident that in-person
teaching and learning can be delivered in covid-secure
environments, but the area of concern has and always will be the
movement of students and the formation of new households, which
does not occur in schools and further education colleges. Many of
the things that we are opening up in stage 2 focus on being
outside. Social mixing remains focused on being outside. The key
thing is that they do not involve the formation of a new
household. Throughout the entire process, we have been clear that
students should still expect the quality of education, the
quantity of provision and for it to be accessible for all.
(Beaconsfield) (Con)
As university courses remain primarily online until the middle of
next month to control the spread of coronavirus, will the
Minister confirm that universities continue to be expected to
deliver the same quality and quantity of online learning as they
have throughout the year? Will she encourage universities to
extend their teaching and reviews so that students may experience
classroom learning before their exams?
The Government do indeed expect the quantity and quality of
teaching to be maintained and to continue to be accessible for
all, whether it is delivered in person or online. Quality is in
fact an Office for Students registration condition, and students
who have concerns may notify the OfS. I thank all higher
education staff, who have worked tirelessly throughout, enabling
students to continue their learning.
(Slough) (Lab)
Laura Halliwell and Isaac Grinnell are two university students on
student placement schemes in my office. They have both raised
concerns about their peers’ experiences during this academic year
about lost teaching, mental health pressures and accommodation
rent payments. As many students have been unable to go to their
universities this year, missing out on teaching and the many
other opportunities such as student societies and mental health
services, why does the Minister think it is okay to charge £9,250
for university tuition fees this year?
I would like to clarify that the Government do not charge £9,250
for tuition fees; universities do, as autonomous institutions.
The Government set the maximum level at which universities may
continue to charge. Every university has opted to do that and, in
return, we have said that we expect the quantity and quality of
provision to be maintained, and for that to be accessible for
all. If students have concerns, they should take it to their
university and, if they remain unsatisfied, go to the OIA, which
can lead and has led to fee refunds. No one, however, is doubting
how challenging and different the past year has been for
students.
(Tunbridge Wells) (Con)
Professor Whitty has said that the risk to 19 to 22-year-olds is
very low. Professor Valance has said that the return of
universities in the previous wave was not associated with
transmission into the towns in which they are located. We know
that universities are some of the best settings in the country
for rigorous testing. Ten million pupils at schools and colleges
went back on 8 March without incident. So why are these precious
weeks for university students being lost to them, despite the
evidence that we now have? Will my hon. Friend think again about
this date? Every week is precious in the limited periods that
people have at university. There are questions about careers
guidance for people about to graduate. Will she look again at the
evidence and if, as I suspect it justifies doing so, bring
forward the return date?
We have continued to review the evidence. We did a comprehensive
review over Easter, taking advice from the likes of the Deputy
Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Medical Officer and looking
at the advice from SAGE, the Scientific Advisory Group for
Emergencies. I agree with my right hon. Friend that it is
disappointing that we cannot get students back earlier and it is
a very difficult situation for the students involved, but we
cannot move too fast, too soon. That would risk a resurgence in
infections, hospitalisations and deaths. We are talking about the
mass movement of, potentially, up to 500,000 students forming new
households.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for her reply to the urgent question. Are
there plans to ensure that the help towards bills that students
studying in Northern Ireland were able to access under the covid
study disruption payment scheme rolled out by the Department for
the Economy in Northern Ireland will be replicated in mainland UK
for Northern Ireland students studying here, so that they have
financial aid to offset their huge bills for minimal interaction
and teaching?
The scheme in Northern Ireland has aimed to support those in
financial hardship, as we have, but what we have done is slightly
different. We have distributed £70 million and now an additional
£15 million—a total of £85 million—of hardship money to
universities to help those most in need, including international
and postgraduate students. That is the process we have used to
get money into the pockets of those most in need.
(Stoke-on-Trent North) (Con) [V]
I have been contacted by some university students from
Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke who have felt the
closure of universities more acutely from the additional costs of
alternative accommodation, loss of employment and the extra costs
of accessing teaching online. Can my hon. Friend assure me that
the £85 million in total support being made available will
deliver tangible help to those left financially struggling?
I agree with my hon. Friend, and that is why we are focused on
getting money into the pockets of the students who need it now.
Universities have flexibility in how they distribute this funding
in a way that will best prioritise those in need, but it must be
spent on supporting students, including international students,
postgraduate students and domestic undergraduate students. My
message to any student listening is that if they need help, they
should approach their university and ask for it. There is no
stigma attached.
(Hornsey and
Wood Green) (Lab)
I have been inundated with messages from students and their
families who are really worried about the impossible position
they are in, having suffered huge restrictions to their education
and social life and facing a mountain of student debt. Do the
Government have a proper plan to address that? Can we put some
energy into fighting for these young people?
I assure the hon. Member that I have put energy into fighting for
these students. That is exactly why I prioritised ensuring that
they can graduate on time, in creative and practical subjects,
and that we can support them financially, particularly those who
are in hardship. Again, I urge any student who is facing hardship
to approach their university. These are really difficult times
for students and their families, and as we navigate through the
pandemic, we hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel
and that next year will be much easier for students.
(Wycombe) (Con)
Bucks New University in Wycombe will want to be in a position to
address the logical inconsistency that has come up several times
in the House, which is that students cannot return to university
but can go to non-essential retail, including to work in it. I
have listened carefully to what my hon. Friend has said. Is the
heart of the matter that students returning to university form
new households? Is that what the Government are really worried
about?
We had to make this decision on balance in relation to all the
things that we were relaxing, because everything—even something
with the slightest risk—could impact our pathway out of the
pandemic. My hon. Friend is right: one of our key concerns was
the mass movement of students—potentially up to 500,000
additional students—across England and the UK and the formation
of new households.
(Newcastle
upon Tyne Central) (Lab) [V]
Last month, I held an open meeting with students in my
constituency. They raised issues including financial
hardship—current funding is wholly inadequate—and mental
wellbeing, lack of planning, tuition fees, rent, professional
accreditation and digital exclusion. This is not a question of
consumer rights, as the Minister suggests; it is a question of
students’ futures after the pandemic. I have written to the
Secretary of State, but what does the Minister say to students in
Newcastle upon Tyne Central who feel wholly abandoned by this
Government?
Once again, I reiterate that the Government appreciate how
difficult and challenging this has been for students. It has not
been the university experience that any of us would have wanted
for them, and that is why we are working with universities to
build back on the student experience as soon as they return. We
are also working on a package of support for those who are
graduating this year.
I have asked universities throughout the pandemic to prioritise
mental health, setting up Student Space with the OfS, which is a
£3 million additional platform, and setting up a working group
and a Department for Education action group co-chaired by the
Minister for Children and Families. We have now dedicated an
additional £50 million to mental health via the OfS through the
teaching grant next year. This is a priority for the Government,
and we recognise the impact that the pandemic has had on the
wellbeing and mental health of students.
(St Ives) (Con) [V]
Every MP will have heard from constituents that, compared with
previous years, the quality and quantity of provision for
students since March 2020 has not be maintained. That is
certainly my experience. The Government have done a remarkable
and world-leading job in supporting businesses, families and all
sorts of people across the country through the pandemic. Surely
they can find a way simply to write off the student loans
borrowed in 2020-21. It will not solve the whole of the problem,
but it is a significant step that will support students and
remind them that we are on their side and that we have hope for
their future.
I would like to remark on the resilience of students during this
pandemic. University staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that
students did not have to put their academic journeys or their
lives on hold. We have seen some fantastic and innovative
examples of this approach, but the Government have been clear
throughout that we expect the quality, quantity and accessibility
of tuition to be maintained. We have targeted our financial
support to those in hardship and in getting cash into the pockets
of those who need it. Any loan rebates would not achieve that.
(Cambridge) (Lab)
We all understand the need for caution, but we have heard that
the problem seems to be about the formation of new households and
so on. May I urge the Minister to talk to universities, because
not all universities are the same? The timings of terms and the
patterns of accommodation are not all the same. Rather than have
this fixed, hard “No, it can’t be done until 17 May”, can we not
try to look for some solutions? Will she talk to Universities UK
about what can be done to help?
I regularly engage with universities. Just yesterday, I spoke to
Universities UK and also held a taskforce with university sector
representatives. We need an approach that is fair across the
board to students, and also that is workable and deliverable. The
hon. Member is quite right, every university and higher education
institution is slightly different, so it would be impossible to
create a bespoke, detailed model. Our goal has always been to get
all of the student population back as quickly as we possibly can.
(Arundel and
South Downs) (Con) [V]
Students across Arundel and South Downs have told me of their
disappointment with this week’s announcement. Will the Minister
confirm that those students with inadequate study space or mental
health or wellbeing issues may return now to their term-time
address and that universities have been asked to open facilities
such as libraries, catering and gyms to support those who have
returned?
My hon. Friend is correct. Universities should support the return
of students for mental health reasons and those who have
inadequate study spaces. Universities can now reopen a number of
facilities, so we have asked them to allow access to all students
who are back in term-time accommodation, to safeguard both
student wellbeing and to prevent isolation.
(Sheffield Central) (Lab) [V]
The inquiry of the all-party parliamentary group for students in
January received testimony from hundreds who felt that they had
been overlooked: losing the income on which they depend from
casual jobs that have disappeared and ineligible for the support
available to other workers; paying rent for accommodation that
they cannot use; and missing learning experiences despite the
best efforts of universities and their staff. The Minister knows
that the Government’s response in February and again on Tuesday
fell far short of what was needed. Students in Northern Ireland
have received support worth more than £500 each, in Wales £300,
in Scotland £80, and in England just £43.70. Does she understand
why students describe themselves as being forgotten?
The difference is that we have started from a position of
unlocking £256 million so that universities can support hardship.
That is on top of the new money of £85 million that we have now
dedicated. We cannot look at it on a per-student basis. We are
very open and honest that this is not a per-student calculation;
this is a targeted fund to support those most in need.
Universities UK has estimated, and its studies show, that, on
average, hardship funding is about £1,000 for each student. I do
not want any student in England to feel forgotten. This
Government have certainly not forgotten them, and we
wholeheartedly accept how difficult and challenging the past year
has been for them.
(North Devon) (Con) [V]
North Devon is the first place in England to record no covid
cases for a week this year, and our students are keen to return
to campus. Will my hon. Friend detail what measures are in place
to ensure that they can do so safely, as they will inevitably be
travelling to an area with higher rates of infection?
Universities continue to make significant investments in student
and staff safety—including updated risk assessments, assessments
of adequate ventilation and covid-secure measures such as
mandatory social distancing, hand washing and face coverings—and
testing is available to all students, who should currently be
tested twice a week at their university test centre. From 17 May,
we will move to home testing, with students first asked to take
three PCR tests at their university test centre.
(Ealing
Central and Acton) (Lab) [V]
For my constituent Harry Wild, who faces finals in June, May is
too late. Given that pubs, shops, barbers and gyms are now open,
why is he still forking out £9,250, plus accommodation, for no
direct staff contact? Doing a head of highlights requires far
more close contact than distanced content delivery, which is
happening in the Chamber as we speak. Is Harry being penalised
for studying in England? In Labour Wales, hybrid blended learning
is already happening on campus.
We are confident that in-person teaching and learning can be
delivered in a covid-secure environment; the area of concern has
been and always will be the mass movement of students and the
formation of new households. As the hon. Member pointed out, many
things are indeed opening up, but most of them are outside and
involve social mixing outside, and the key thing is that they do
not involve the formation of new households.
(Redcar) (Con)
I thank the Minister for her work throughout the pandemic to
support students from Redcar and Cleveland and those studying at
Teesside University. Just like in all walks of life, regular
testing will be vital to getting life at universities back to
normal. Can she confirm that no student will have to pay for
covid tests to return to their studies?
I can indeed. I agree with my hon. Friend that testing plays an
important part in mitigating the risk of transmission and assure
him that under no circumstances will any student have to incur
financial costs as a result of participating in our testing
programme.
(Kensington)
(Con)
I am very concerned about the mental health of students who are
still not back at university. I am conscious that the university
experience is about way more than lectures and tutorials—at
least, it was for me. Will my hon. Friend please update the House
on what we are doing to support the mental health of students who
are not yet back at university?
My hon. Friend is right: the wider student experience has been
extremely impacted over the last year, despite the hard work of
universities and student unions. UUK is sharing best practice and
ideas to support universities to prioritise and enrich the
student experience on return, and we are working with UUK on
that.
Throughout the pandemic, I have reiterated to universities the
importance of prioritising mental health and wellbeing and worked
with them to enable that, including by convening a mental health
working group. We have also worked closely with the OfS and
launched Student Space, a £3 million mental health platform
through which students can access support during the pandemic.
(Lewisham East) (Lab) [V]
Time spent away from in-person learning has had a particularly
damaging impact on students from deprived and disadvantaged
backgrounds. Goldsmiths, University of London has raised with me
its concerns about the widening gap between students from wealthy
backgrounds, who have networks to help them to find jobs beyond
university, and those from low-income families, who do not. To
ensure that the gap in social mobility does not hold students
back in the job market, what steps will the Minister take to make
sure that tailored careers support and advice are provided?
We are currently working with universities and sector
representatives on a package of support for those who will
graduate this year. It is important to note that we have already
done a number of things, including putting an additional £32
million into the national careers service. The number of work
coaches in this country is now up to 27,000, and we have the
skills toolkit, which is a fantastic free resource that enables
students or graduates to access courses that will add to their
employability.
(Beckenham)
(Con)
Has the Minister’s Department done any assessment of the impact
on the levels of attainment and grades that might be achieved in
finals this year? If it is less than normal, will some sort of
gearing be put into the system to ensure that students are not
penalised by the fact that they have had to do so much work away
from the university, without the advantage of attending a
library, for instance?
Universities are autonomous institutions and all run their own
assessments, so every single one of them is different in this
respect. However, the Government are advocating that they
introduce policies that mitigate some of the impact of the
pandemic and that they are fair in doing so. Some have chosen to
introduce no-detriment policies, for instance. However, this will
not work in all cases—for example, if a university does not have
enough information to do a no-detriment policy, or if the
regulatory body that accredits the course is against that. My
understanding from my work with universities is that they are on
the whole being extremely flexible and accommodating for students
and appreciate the sheer scale of the challenges that students
have faced over the last year. I will continue to monitor the
situation and work with universities on this.
(Brighton, Kemptown) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
There is increasing concern from students who have not been able
to take many of the part-time jobs that they would otherwise have
been able to. They are not eligible for much of the Government
support and they are having to continue to pay rent. Some
universities have been good, of course, but the private sector
has not been. Is it not now time for the Government to have
serious plans to address this hardship, as we have seen in Wales,
and not just the pittance that has been given, on a discretionary
basis, to students, many of whom are not able to access it
properly?
It is important to remember that we have unlocked £256 million of
taxpayers’ money for universities to access to support those in
hardship, and we have allocated an additional £85 million. It is
right that we have targeted that to those who are most in need,
rather than allocating it as a blanket payment, which would have
diluted the support available to those who genuinely need it at
the moment. Once again, I reiterate my message to any student who
is facing hardship: please come forward to your university and
access that help. That includes international students and
postgraduate students.
(Bury
South) (Con)
I thank the Minister for literally being on call on evenings and
weekends to answer any questions we have had on universities on a
case-by-case basis. University should be some of the best days of
your life. I know that the hon. Member for Lancaster and
Fleetwood () will join
me in thinking the same, given our shared time in Lancaster.
However, the past year has raised severe mental health issues for
everyone, as we have heard. What conversations is the Minister
having with education providers to support students’ health,
mental health and wellbeing when they return?
My hon. Friend touches on a really important point. Throughout
this pandemic I have reiterated to universities and sector bodies
the importance of prioritising student wellbeing and mental
health and moving that provision online in tandem with academic
provision. I convened a working group to enable this. I have
worked with the OfS to launch Student Space—a £3 million mental
health project. We continue to evaluate the situation. We have
also launched an action group with the Under-Secretary of State
for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford
(), looking
at mental health across the spectrum of education, because these
challenges are not going away and we need to continue to support
students throughout this period.
(Vauxhall)
(Lab/Co-op) [V]
I have two privately run student accommodation blocks in my
constituency, which in normal times are home to hundreds of
students from London’s top universities. Because of the travel
restrictions and physical closure, they have had to live
elsewhere for most of the year, but they still continue to pay
the rent. These students have exhausted all means, including
discussions with their accommodation provider, and they have been
looking at trying to terminate their contracts or to be offered a
rent reduction, but to no avail. They have been put into an
impossible position, having faced huge restrictions on their
education and their social life, but they are still paying rent.
All they want is a fair deal from their accommodation provider.
What plans do the Government have to address this?
We have urged accommodation providers to have students’ best
interests at heart, to review their policies and to give refunds
where they can, and a number have done so, including a plethora
of universities and private providers such as Unite. The hardship
money is there for those students who have faced a situation
where they cannot access a refund. I again urge all students to
access that, particularly if accommodation pressures are putting
them in financial difficulties.
(Harrow East)
(Con) [V]
I congratulate my hon. Friend on the excellent work she has done
in supporting students and universities across this very
difficult period. Clearly, students are now consumers—consumers
enabled to demand the best from their universities—and the key
point here is getting value for money. I know that she is trying
to do that. Can she also state the position in relation to
international students? Many universities are wholly dependent
now on the income from international students. What advice is
being given to those students, who are equally consumers of our
education?
The Government’s expectations are clear: universities should
maintain the quality, quantity and accessibility of provision. If
a student, whether international or domestic, is unhappy, they
can utilise the OfS notifications procedure to pre-empt a review,
or make a formal complaint to their university. If they are still
unsatisfied, they can go to the OIA, which can lead to fee
refunds and has done in the past.
(Nottingham South) (Lab)
The latest ONS statistics show that around three quarters of
students are already back in their term-time accommodation. Does
the Minister agree that the Government’s failure to provide any
information or guidance whatsoever until so very late in the day
meant that many students travelled unnecessarily in anticipation
of starting back after Easter?
We have continued to give guidance and advice to students
throughout. We wanted to give the maximum period possible to
review the data because our objective has always been to get
students back as soon as we possibly can. At every stage, we have
written to students and communicated with them via universities,
but I do get how challenging it is and how disappointing it will
be for some students not to be able to resume face-to-face
teaching until 17 May.
(North Norfolk) (Con)
It is telling that the first step on the roadmap was education,
so we know how seriously the Government take that subject. Will
the Minister confirm that the highest rates of transmission among
students are in university halls of residence and house sharing,
so, regrettable as it is to have to delay the recommencement, it
is simply a fact that we have to ensure the safety of this nation
and that case rates continue to be suppressed?
The Government have committed to taking a cautious approach to
easing restrictions, guided by the data instead of dates.
Encouraging students on non-practical courses to return to
in-person teaching will potentially lead to a significant number
of students forming new households from across the country—up to
500,000—and enabling this to proceed too early may result in
significant, higher numbers of infection and could increase the
risk of students having to repeatedly self-isolate, which I am
sure none of us would want.
