Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Further and Higher Education

Tuesday 5 May 2020 · 1 question

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute in the constituency of Owen Thompson are vital in combating covid-19.
  • The UK Government has announced a package including 100 million in research funding, 2.6 billion in tuition fees, and at least 700 million in Treasury financial support for universities.
  • This funding package aims to stabilise the higher education sector.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Owen Thompson SNP Rosyth
Education
Context

Research institutions are struggling to obtain necessary support through existing government schemes, necessitating a more tailored approach.

Question

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute in my constituency are vital to fighting covid-19, but such institutions struggle with current Government schemes. Given higher education funding complexities and financial impacts from lockdowns, will the UK Government provide a support package for jobs in this sector? What additional support is sought for research groups?

Answer from Michelle Donelan (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning)

We have announced a package yesterday that includes bringing forward £100 million in research funding, £2.6 billion in tuition fees to help with cash flow, and at least £700 million in Treasury financial support for universities. This package is designed to stabilise the higher education sector and safeguard it as a whole.

Answered
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