§ Alistair BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has for a sustained and targeted increase in funding to universities to cover the costs of recruiting and retaining students from less well off backgrounds. [45266]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is currently reviewing the additional funding it allocates to higher education institutions to recognize the additional costs of recruiting and retaining students from non-traditional backgrounds (the 'postcode premium'), and will be consulting on widening participation, including the basis on which the postcode premium is allocated, later in the spring.
Plans for spending in future years will depend upon the outcome of the Spending Review.