To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what estimate has been made...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what estimate has been made...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, how many students are expected...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, how many students are expected...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what proportion of the costs...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what proportion of the costs...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what estimate has been made...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what estimate has been made...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, whether an assessment has been...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, whether an assessment has been...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what discussions have taken place...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what discussions have taken place...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what criteria were used to...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces support for Gaza with new child medical evacuations and assistance to Palestinians going to top UK universities, published on 24 June 2026, what criteria were used to...

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that students from countries experiencing armed conflict who have been awarded scholarships at UK universities can take up their places; and what steps her Department is taking to provide assistance with (a)...

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that students from countries experiencing armed conflict who have been awarded scholarships at UK universities can take up their places; and what steps her Department is taking to provide assistance with (a)...

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that students in Gaza who have been offered a scholarship to study in UK universities are able to do so.

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that students in Gaza who have been offered a scholarship to study in UK universities are able to do so.

In the 2024 Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced the introduction of VAT on private school fees from 1 January 2025. This briefing discusses the background to the government's decision and the legislation to bring it into effect.

In the 2024 Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced the introduction of VAT on private school fees from 1 January 2025. This briefing discusses the background to the government's decision and the legislation to bring it into effect.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decline in the number of scholarships available for the study of history at master’s level.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decline in the number of scholarships available for the study of history at master’s level.

My Lords, the study of history is of immense value, as it helps students to understand Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It also equips students to think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgment—all vital skills. Decisions on scholarships, bursaries or other financial awards are matters for individual providers and relevant funding bodies, but the Government provide support for postgraduate master’s study across all subjects, including history, through the postgraduate master’s loan.

My Lords, the study of history is of immense value, as it helps students to understand Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It also equips students to think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgment—all vital skills. Decisions on scholarships, bursaries or other financial awards are matters for individual providers and relevant funding bodies, but the Government provide support for postgraduate master’s study across all subjects, including history, through the postgraduate master’s loan.

I thank my noble friend the Minister for her constructive reply. I should declare an interest as the founder of the accomplishment scholarship in history at Queen’s College, Oxford. This year is the 250th anniversary of one of the huge achievements of the Enlightenment. This anniversary does not require a party in Washington or a new ballroom at the White House, and it is British. I am talking about the publication of the first volume

of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon’s masterpiece. Since then, Britain has produced a succession of brilliant, world-leading historians: Macaulay, Carlyle, Trevelyan, AJP Taylor, CV Wedgwood, Eric Hobsbawm, Simon Schama, Bettany Hughes, Antony Beevor, Peter Frankopan and our esteemed colleague on the Benches opposite, the noble Lord, Lord Roberts, to name but a few. The educational pipeline to this greatness has come under severe pressure for funding reasons in the last few years, and it is essential that we steward history as a discipline through these challenging times. Does the Minister agree that history is a foundational subject? I think she does. Does she agree that it is the cornerstone of a civilised and democratic society, and will she ensure that government actively promotes the study of history in UK universities so that it can and will stand on the sunlit uplands—I am thinking of the Malverns on a summer’s day—as a beacon to the world for decades to come?

I thank my noble friend the Minister for her constructive reply. I should declare an interest as the founder of the accomplishment scholarship in history at Queen’s College, Oxford. This year is the 250th anniversary of one of the huge achievements of the Enlightenment. This anniversary does not require a party in Washington or a new ballroom at the White House, and it is British. I am talking about the publication of the first volume

of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon’s masterpiece. Since then, Britain has produced a succession of brilliant, world-leading historians: Macaulay, Carlyle, Trevelyan, AJP Taylor, CV Wedgwood, Eric Hobsbawm, Simon Schama, Bettany Hughes, Antony Beevor, Peter Frankopan and our esteemed colleague on the Benches opposite, the noble Lord, Lord Roberts, to name but a few. The educational pipeline to this greatness has come under severe pressure for funding reasons in the last few years, and it is essential that we steward history as a discipline through these challenging times. Does the Minister agree that history is a foundational subject? I think she does. Does she agree that it is the cornerstone of a civilised and democratic society, and will she ensure that government actively promotes the study of history in UK universities so that it can and will stand on the sunlit uplands—I am thinking of the Malverns on a summer’s day—as a beacon to the world for decades to come?

Yes, I agree with my noble friend, and I congratulate him on the personal commitment that he has made to supporting studentships in history at his former college. I feel confident that noble Lords across the House will be rushing to their copies of Gibbon to brush up on that bit of history. He is right. As I said in my opening response, history has a fundamental place at all levels of education, because it provides us with the ability to understand the history of our nation and of the world and the context in which we are operating now, and it develops critical skills, all of which are fundamentally important in our complex and contested modern world. I look forward to working alongside my noble friend to ensure that Britain’s leading position in the study and development of history scholarship is maintained.

Yes, I agree with my noble friend, and I congratulate him on the personal commitment that he has made to supporting studentships in history at his former college. I feel confident that noble Lords across the House will be rushing to their copies of Gibbon to brush up on that bit of history. He is right. As I said in my opening response, history has a fundamental place at all levels of education, because it provides us with the ability to understand the history of our nation and of the world and the context in which we are operating now, and it develops critical skills, all of which are fundamentally important in our complex and contested modern world. I look forward to working alongside my noble friend to ensure that Britain’s leading position in the study and development of history scholarship is maintained.

My Lords, does the Minister share my concern that the decline in scholarships will disproportionately affect people from lower-income backgrounds? If she does, what steps will His Majesty’s Government take to make sure that people get to study based on talent and not their ability to pay?

My Lords, does the Minister share my concern that the decline in scholarships will disproportionately affect people from lower-income backgrounds? If she does, what steps will His Majesty’s Government take to make sure that people get to study based on talent and not their ability to pay?

If the noble Lord is making the case that it is not just at undergraduate level in universities that we need to promote wider access but at postgraduate level, I strongly agree with him. We made that point in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, and we have already begun work to support, for example, the promulgation of successful best practice in opening up access to postgraduate study. We want to do more on that issue.

If the noble Lord is making the case that it is not just at undergraduate level in universities that we need to promote wider access but at postgraduate level, I strongly agree with him. We made that point in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, and we have already begun work to support, for example, the promulgation of successful best practice in opening up access to postgraduate study. We want to do more on that issue.

My Lords, the wider, hugely worrying trend is the loss of humanities and arts courses more generally at the higher education level, one effect of which, as has been said, has been to widen the class divide in the study of those subjects. Do the Government have a strategy to reverse those long-term trends?

My Lords, the wider, hugely worrying trend is the loss of humanities and arts courses more generally at the higher education level, one effect of which, as has been said, has been to widen the class divide in the study of those subjects. Do the Government have a strategy to reverse those long-term trends?

It is important, first, to ensure the financial sustainability of our higher education sector, which this Government have taken

action to do by increasing the maximum tuition fee cap. It is also important, as we set out in our White Paper, that universities are able to think carefully about what they want to specialise in and the way in which they collaborate—something that has not happened enough in our higher education sector—to maintain access to important subjects such as history and humanities. In doing that, we will make it more likely that access to these important subjects can be maintained for students at all levels.

It is important, first, to ensure the financial sustainability of our higher education sector, which this Government have taken

action to do by increasing the maximum tuition fee cap. It is also important, as we set out in our White Paper, that universities are able to think carefully about what they want to specialise in and the way in which they collaborate—something that has not happened enough in our higher education sector—to maintain access to important subjects such as history and humanities. In doing that, we will make it more likely that access to these important subjects can be maintained for students at all levels.

My Lords, I join from these Benches in congratulating noble Lord, Lord Barber of Chittlehampton, on all his work to support the study of history. Higher education resources, however, are under strain, and the IFS has reported independently that some courses have persistently poor outcomes and very high student loan write-off, of up to 70%—not history, but some other creative courses. What steps will the Minister take to ensure any future cuts are made first to those courses, rather than to the core disciplines and humanities, such as history?

My Lords, I join from these Benches in congratulating noble Lord, Lord Barber of Chittlehampton, on all his work to support the study of history. Higher education resources, however, are under strain, and the IFS has reported independently that some courses have persistently poor outcomes and very high student loan write-off, of up to 70%—not history, but some other creative courses. What steps will the Minister take to ensure any future cuts are made first to those courses, rather than to the core disciplines and humanities, such as history?

I am sure the noble Baroness will be very pleased to know that we made an announcement this morning—which, for some unknown reason, did not get quite the attention I would have hoped—precisely about her point. For a vast majority of students, going to university is worth while for their learning and lifetime earnings, but there are some courses which are not providing that opportunity. We have already enabled the Office for Students to investigate and challenge where provision is not of a high enough quality; we will link any future increase in tuition fees to quality and we will take further action to enable the Office for Students to limit the availability of courses which are not providing students with what they deserve in the future. We will have more to say about that when, perhaps, more people are listening.

I am sure the noble Baroness will be very pleased to know that we made an announcement this morning—which, for some unknown reason, did not get quite the attention I would have hoped—precisely about her point. For a vast majority of students, going to university is worth while for their learning and lifetime earnings, but there are some courses which are not providing that opportunity. We have already enabled the Office for Students to investigate and challenge where provision is not of a high enough quality; we will link any future increase in tuition fees to quality and we will take further action to enable the Office for Students to limit the availability of courses which are not providing students with what they deserve in the future. We will have more to say about that when, perhaps, more people are listening.