The UK government is firmly committed to maintaining the Common Travel Area (CTA) and to protecting the rights enjoyed by UK and Irish nationals when in each other’s states.

Article 5 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to the draft Withdrawal Agreement builds on December’s joint report and confirms that the UK and Ireland can continue to make arrangements between themselves concerning the CTA.

This means that rights to enter, reside, work, study and access social security and public services will be preserved on a reciprocal basis for UK and Irish nationals in the other’s state.

Arrangements on access to student finance support for other EU nationals starting a course in England after the transition period ends are under consideration.

The purpose of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) is to drive up standards of teaching quality in higher education, as well as to offer prospective students information about where to find high quality teaching and the most positive graduate outcomes.

We are assessing and evaluating the development of the TEF on an ongoing basis. Since 2016, we have published consultation reports, research reports and evaluation findings on the development of the TEF. The Office for Students also published its findings from the first year of the subject-level pilots on 22 October.

We intend to publish further research on the initial impact of the TEF, based on the provider-level evaluation 2016/17, in the New Year. That research report will include evidence, drawing on the views of providers and students, about the effect of the TEF on the choices made by students. It will also report on the perceptions of changes to institutional reputation that providers and students, both home and international, attribute to the TEF.

On 19 November, we announced the appointment of Dame Shirley Pearce as the independent reviewer of TEF. Dame Shirley Pearce will report on the operation of the TEF, in line with the remit set out for her in section 26 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. We expect her to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in Summer 2019.

The purpose of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) is to drive up standards of teaching quality in higher education, as well as to offer prospective students information about where to find high quality teaching and the most positive graduate outcomes.

We are assessing and evaluating the development of the TEF on an ongoing basis. Since 2016, we have published consultation reports, research reports and evaluation findings on the development of the TEF. The Office for Students also published its findings from the first year of the subject-level pilots on 22 October.

We intend to publish further research on the initial impact of the TEF, based on the provider-level evaluation 2016/17, in the New Year. That research report will include evidence, drawing on the views of providers and students, about the effect of the TEF on the choices made by students. It will also report on the perceptions of changes to institutional reputation that providers and students, both home and international, attribute to the TEF.

On 19 November, we announced the appointment of Dame Shirley Pearce as the independent reviewer of TEF. Dame Shirley Pearce will report on the operation of the TEF, in line with the remit set out for her in section 26 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. We expect her to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in Summer 2019.

The purpose of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) is to drive up standards of teaching quality in higher education, as well as to offer prospective students information about where to find high quality teaching and the most positive graduate outcomes.

We are assessing and evaluating the development of the TEF on an ongoing basis. Since 2016, we have published consultation reports, research reports and evaluation findings on the development of the TEF. The Office for Students also published its findings from the first year of the subject-level pilots on 22 October.

We intend to publish further research on the initial impact of the TEF, based on the provider-level evaluation 2016/17, in the New Year. That research report will include evidence, drawing on the views of providers and students, about the effect of the TEF on the choices made by students. It will also report on the perceptions of changes to institutional reputation that providers and students, both home and international, attribute to the TEF.

On 19 November, we announced the appointment of Dame Shirley Pearce as the independent reviewer of TEF. Dame Shirley Pearce will report on the operation of the TEF, in line with the remit set out for her in section 26 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. We expect her to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in Summer 2019.

The purpose of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) is to drive up standards of teaching quality in higher education, as well as to offer prospective students information about where to find high quality teaching and the most positive graduate outcomes.

We are assessing and evaluating the development of the TEF on an ongoing basis. Since 2016, we have published consultation reports, research reports and evaluation findings on the development of the TEF. The Office for Students also published its findings from the first year of the subject-level pilots on 22 October.

We intend to publish further research on the initial impact of the TEF, based on the provider-level evaluation 2016/17, in the New Year. That research report will include evidence, drawing on the views of providers and students, about the effect of the TEF on the choices made by students. It will also report on the perceptions of changes to institutional reputation that providers and students, both home and international, attribute to the TEF.

On 19 November, we announced the appointment of Dame Shirley Pearce as the independent reviewer of TEF. Dame Shirley Pearce will report on the operation of the TEF, in line with the remit set out for her in section 26 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. We expect her to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in Summer 2019.

The department does not forecast the number of students in part-time undergraduate higher education.

Dame Shirley is keen to seek views on the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) review from a wide range of people and groups. She intends to invite comments from the sector and the public on the TEF review and has set up a dedicated mailbox: TEF.IndependentReview@education.gov.uk. Dame Shirley also proposes to hold a series of events to seek views from stakeholders including providers, students, employers and others with an interest in standards of teaching in higher education.

It is our intention to proceed with regulations to set the new accelerated degree fee caps as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval.

Once approved, providers will be able to offer accelerated degree courses at values up to the higher annual fee cap. It will be for providers to decide whether, as a result of this change, they will expand existing accelerated course provision or offer accelerated degrees for the first time.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) publish statistics annually on student support payments by academic year: https://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspx. Early statistics for the academic year 2018/19 show that as at 31 October 2018, 1,500 English domiciled students had been paid a part-time maintenance loan. Information on the total number of part-time students in the academic year 2018/19 is not yet available.

As stated in the government response to the recent consultation on part-time maintenance loans, we would like to extend these new loans to distance learning courses, but we must maintain confidence in the student finance system and ensure that adequate controls are in place to prevent the misuse of public funds.

In light of this, ministers would only extend these loans to distance learners if robust controls are put in place to manage the risks associated with that mode of study. The department is currently considering those controls, and a final decision regarding whether it is feasible to extend maintenance loans to distance learners will be made once this scrutiny is completed.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) publish statistics annually on student support payments by academic year: https://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspx. Early statistics for the academic year 2018/19 show that as at 31 October 2018, 1,500 English domiciled students had been paid a part-time maintenance loan. Information on the total number of part-time students in the academic year 2018/19 is not yet available.

As stated in the government response to the recent consultation on part-time maintenance loans, we would like to extend these new loans to distance learning courses, but we must maintain confidence in the student finance system and ensure that adequate controls are in place to prevent the misuse of public funds.

In light of this, ministers would only extend these loans to distance learners if robust controls are put in place to manage the risks associated with that mode of study. The department is currently considering those controls, and a final decision regarding whether it is feasible to extend maintenance loans to distance learners will be made once this scrutiny is completed.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) publish statistics annually on student support payments by academic year: https://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspx. Early statistics for the academic year 2018/19 show that as at 31 October 2018, 1,500 English domiciled students had been paid a part-time maintenance loan. Information on the total number of part-time students in the academic year 2018/19 is not yet available.

As stated in the government response to the recent consultation on part-time maintenance loans, we would like to extend these new loans to distance learning courses, but we must maintain confidence in the student finance system and ensure that adequate controls are in place to prevent the misuse of public funds.

In light of this, ministers would only extend these loans to distance learners if robust controls are put in place to manage the risks associated with that mode of study. The department is currently considering those controls, and a final decision regarding whether it is feasible to extend maintenance loans to distance learners will be made once this scrutiny is completed.

The Student Loans Company publish statistics annually on student loan debt and repayment. The statistics are published separately for loans funded by each of the devolved administrations and can be found at: https://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment.aspx.

The Secretary of State for Education has not had discussions specifically covering learning disability and mental health nursing programmes expansion. However, nursing continues to be a priority area for investment. The Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care are working with Health Education England on a campaign to improve perceptions of nursing, the allied health professions and midwifery and encourage applications to relevant undergraduate courses.

Widening participation to higher education is a priority for this government. We want everyone with the capability to succeed in higher education to have the opportunity to benefit from a university education, regardless of their background or where they grew up.

In our first guidance to the Office for Students (OfS), we identified certain target groups, including students with specific learning needs or disabilities, as we recognise that they require specific support for accessing and succeeding in higher education. Through access agreements (now known as access and participation plans), which have been agreed with the OfS, higher education providers are expected to reduce the gaps in access, success and progression for under-represented groups amongst their students.

Through the access and participation plans for the period of 2018 to 2019, universities and further education colleges plan to spend more than £860 million on measures to improve access and student success for students from under-represented groups and disadvantaged backgrounds. This amount has significantly increased from the planned expenditure of £404 million in 2009.

Prior attainment is a critical factor and we are asking higher education providers to take on a more direct role in helping to raise attainment in schools as part of their outreach activity. We expect all universities to help raise attainment and support school improvement, including through school sponsorship and establishing new state schools.

Dame Shirley Pearce is very keen to hear the views of students in the review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework. She will engage with as many students as possible during the review both by encouraging students to respond to the public consultation and by finding a range of other ways to hear the views of students.

Dame Shirley will shortly be announcing the membership of the group that she is establishing to advise her. This group will include a student representative.

Dame Shirley Pearce is very keen to hear the views of students in the review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework. She will engage with as many students as possible during the review both by encouraging students to respond to the public consultation and by finding a range of other ways to hear the views of students.

Dame Shirley will shortly be announcing the membership of the group that she is establishing to advise her. This group will include a student representative.

I refer the hon. Member for Cardiff Central to the answer I gave on 12 November to Question 188033.

Generally, to meet the eligibility requirements for student support, a student should be resident in England, have ‘settled’ status or a recognised connection with the UK and have been a resident of the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for the three years prior to the start of the course.

Residence in the UK and Islands must not have been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education, a requirement that has been in place since the 1960s.

Student Finance England determines whether an individual has met the residency requirements by considering applications for student support and accompanying evidence. Applications are considered on a case by case basis.