Students starting full-time courses in the 2016/17 academic year on the lowest incomes benefited from an additional 10.3% of upfront living costs support when compared to the previous academic year.

In 2017, 20.4% of 18 year olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (measured using POLAR, a measure of educational disadvantage) entered higher education, which is the highest proportion on record and an increase of 0.9% from 2016 – please see UCAS ‘End of Cycle Report 2017’ for this statistic, found at: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-analysis-reports/2017-end-cycle-report.

A full equality analysis of changes to HE student finance for 2016/17, including the replacement of maintenance grants by loans, was published on GOV.UK in November 2015 and can be viewed at the following link: Higher Education Student Finance Equality Analysis.

The Government is undertaking a wide range of analysis in support of our EU exit negotiations and preparations. Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to release information that would reveal our negotiating position.

However, we have consistently made clear that research and innovation are vital to the UK’s prosperity, security and wellbeing, which is why they are at the heart of the Government’s industrial strategy.

It is in the interests of the UK and EU for us to continue to collaborate and my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has recently said that the UK would like the option to fully associate with the excellence-based European science and innovation programmes under the EU’s next multiannual financial framework (MFF).

Under the current MFF, the text of the December Joint Report envisages that UK entities’ right to participate in EU programmes will be unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU for the duration of projects. We have made significant progress in turning the Joint Report into the legal text of the draft Withdrawal Agreement, and the Government’s guarantee of funding continues to stand if necessary.

The Research Councils and HEFCE have provided the following amount of research funding to each higher education institution in the West Midlands in each year since 2010. Table 1 shows research grants and contracts income from Research Councils and Table 2 shows income from HEFCE research grants.

Table 1

Income from Research Councils (£k)

Table 2

Income from HEFCE research grant (£k)

Source – Higher Education Statistics Agency “Finance Plus” publications 2010/11 to 2016/17.

The Student Forum was established by the Government to help share best practice between local councils, Electoral Registration Officers and universities. It does not require funding itself; instead, the Government has funded national organisations and Electoral Registration Officers to carry out activities to increase the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register.

This funding amounts to £14 million over the past two financial years, and includes a specific allocation of £530,000 for student organisations.

In 2014/15 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have received £27 million resource funding to support them in the transition to Individual Electoral Registration.

EROs have also received a share of £6.8 million funding to support activities such as targeted canvassing, mail-outs and communications campaigns aimed at increasing the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register, with allocations based on levels of under registration. This funding is paid to EROs via grants under Section 31 of the Local Government Act (2003).

Where EROs can justify the need for further support, bids for additional funding can be made. These are assessed on a case by case basis.

In 2014/15 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have received £27 million resource funding to support them in the transition to Individual Electoral Registration.

EROs have also received a share of £6.8 million funding to support activities such as targeted canvassing, mail-outs and communications campaigns aimed at increasing the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register, with allocations based on levels of under registration. This funding is paid to EROs via grants under Section 31 of the Local Government Act (2003).

Where EROs can justify the need for further support, bids for additional funding can be made. These are assessed on a case by case basis.