Written questions by Lowe.

Whether her Department intends to maintain ongoing engagement with Islamic finance advisory bodies to review the continued Sharia compliance of the Alternative Student Finance model; what form that engagement will take; and whether the cost of such engagement will be met from the public purse.

Details of the department's previous engagements may be accessed on GOV.UK’s ‘Contracts Finder’ tool, which is available at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.Details of any future commercial engagements, including contracts, will be published on GOV.UK in line with standard arrangements.

What contingency plans her Department has in place should repayment outcomes under the Alternative Student Finance model diverge from those under the standard student loan system; and whether any such contingency measures would require additional public expenditure.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Whether her Department will commit to publishing annual data comparing repayment outcomes under the Alternative Student Finance model and the standard student loan system; and what the estimated cost of producing such data will be.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What contracts, memoranda of understanding, or advisory agreements her Department or the Student Loans Company have entered into with Islamic finance advisory organisations in relation to the Alternative Student Finance model; and what the total projected cost of those agreements is over the next five years.

Details of the department's previous engagements may be accessed on GOV.UK’s ‘Contracts Finder’ tool, which is available at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.Details of any future commercial engagements, including contracts, will be published on GOV.UK in line with standard arrangements.

What estimate her Department has made of the future cost to the public purse of maintaining, reviewing, and administering the Alternative Student Finance model, including advisory services, system maintenance, compliance monitoring, and equivalence assurance.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What the expenditure has been on external consultants, advisory bodies and specialist Islamic finance expertise for the Alternative Student Finance model.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Whether a cost–benefit analysis was undertaken before proceeding with the development of the Alternative Student Finance model.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What the cost to the public purse has been on the development of the Alternative Student Finance model, including all programme costs, consultancy fees, legal drafting and stakeholder engagement.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Which Ministers have authorised expenditure on the development of the Alternative Student Finance model since 2013; and on what dates those approvals were given.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What the projected and actual costs are for the Student Loans Company to design, build, test, and implement systems required to administer the Alternative Student Finance model.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

If she will publish a breakdown of student loan recipients by nationality in each of the last five years.

Attached is a table that provides data about students in receipt of student loans by nationality, for the 2020/21 – 2024/25 academic years.This dataset reports the number of UK Nationals, and provides a breakdown of nationalities for non-UK Nationals. Previous similar parliamentary questions used nationality as self‑reported by applicants on their Student Finance application form. Under that approach, UK Nationals could record an additional nationality alongside proof of their UK national status, which led to inconsistent reporting for borrowers who held UK National status.The department and the Student Loans Company (SLC) have strengthened the quality and consistency of their data and now hold robust information on a borrower’s UK national status and nationality. This has reduced the number of ‘unknown’ records previously reported to less than 0.07% in the last year of this dataset. This is a live management information dataset which is not static, and data can be updated over time as SLC update their records and re-categorise data.

How many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

The department has access to records of hotel accommodation used by employees; however, this information is not collected or categorised by hotel star rating. In 2024/25, employees booked 8,367 hotel nights, equivalent to an average 1.06 nights per employee.The department’s travel and expenses policy ensures value for money by setting clear limits for hotel costs: £160 per night in London and £110 per night elsewhere. Employees are expected to book within these caps through approved channels.Where accommodation cannot reasonably be secured within these limits, any higher‑cost booking must receive prior approval from a Senior Civil Servant (Deputy Director or above). Such approval is granted only where there is a clearly evidenced business or critical operational need.

How many asylum seekers there are in the education system by (a) day and (b) month of birth.

The information requested is not held centrally.

What proportion of asylum seekers in the education system have a date of birth recorded as 1 January.

The information requested is not held centrally.

How many civil servants employed by their Department work in roles primarily focused on (a) transgender policy, (b) diversity, (c) equity and (d) inclusion; and at what annual salary cost.

The department currently employs three civil servants in roles focused on diversity,equity and inclusion. Following a review of all job titles across the department, we can confirm that there are no roles whose primary focus is transgender policy.Within the central human resources diversity and inclusion team, staffing aligns with standard departmental grading structures for the 2025/26 financial year. The team includes:One fifth of a Grade 6 role (0.2 FTE). This role is included for transparency, as it carries senior oversight of the team’s work alongside wider responsibilities. The salary range for this grade is £74,528 to £82,869.Half of a Grade 7 role (0.5 FTE). The salary range for this grade is £58,185 to £67,219.One Senior Executive Officer role (1 FTE). The salary range for this grade is £46,971 to £51,973.Information on roles and salaries for members of the department and its arm's length bodiesis available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disclosure-of-scs-posts-and-salary-information.

What the cost to the public purse was of feasibility studies conducted by their Department for projects that did not proceed in the last five years.

The cost of feasibility studies conducted by the department on school building capital projects that did not proceed in the last 5 years is £8,689,888.These costs are made up of capital funding, property costs, professional and technical services, staff and project management costs, and fees.Between 2010 and 2024, over £300 million has also been spent on over 50 free schools that subsequently closed, money that could have been invested in places for children with special educational needs and disabilities or addressing urgent condition needs in existing schools.This is why the department has taken action on the free schools pipeline. Projects that proceed will be those that meet the needs of communities, respond to demographic and housing demand, and raise standards without undermining the viability of existing local schools and colleges.

What assessment she has made of the reliability of income data used by the Student Loans Company.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) uses income data provided by HMRC, which is an effective way to ensure that repayments are linked directly to earnings for borrowers resident in the UK. Employers and self-employed borrowers provide income and student loan information to HMRC alongside tax reporting. HMRC then report this to the SLC.The amount that borrowers are required to repay is calculated on the basis of income subject to National Insurance contributions (for UK-resident PAYE borrowers) or income subject to tax (for borrowers in Self-Assessment).Borrowers residing overseas for more than three months, whether permanently or temporarily, are required to repay directly to the SLC, as they are outside the UK tax system. Borrowers must complete a yearly Overseas Income Assessment Form, including evidence of earnings (such as payslips or bank statements) or other income. The SLC then establishes a 12-month repayment schedule based on the borrower’s projected gross annual salary.

What discussions she has had with the student local company on levels of interest applied to student loans; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of those levels on graduates’ disposable income and long-term repayment outcomes.

Interest rates are set in legislation in reference to the Retail Price Index and applied annually from 1 September. The Student Loans Company applies interest accordingly. Student loans are subject to interest so that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree.Interest rates on student loans do not affect monthly repayments made by borrowers. Regular repayments are based on a fixed percentage of earnings above the applicable student loan repayment threshold. Any outstanding debt, including interest built up, is written off after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower.A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published under the previous government in February 2022 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

What estimate she has made of the potential administrative cost associated with tracing and managing borrowers of student loans whose repayment status cannot be verified through UK tax systems.

As of April 2025, 6.1 million borrowers (English and EU nationals with loans from Student Finance England) are in Repayment. Of the 6.1 million, 286,000 (4.6%) reside overseas, of which 85,000 (29.7%) are EU nationals and 201,000 (70.3%) are English UK nationals. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025.In November 2025, 60.3% of borrowers residing overseas (EU and UK nationals) were compliant, and 39.7% non-compliant. The compliance rate for UK borrowers was 62.3%, and for EU borrowers 55.4%.The Student Loans Company (SLC) recovers approximately £10 million per month from customers residing overseas (both UK and EU nationals) at cost of approximately £339,000 per month. This is a return on investment of approximately 30:1.In the 2024/25 financial year, SLC’s repayments evasion unit recovered £7.7 million from non-compliant overseas borrowers. If the SLC is unable to recover outstanding debt directly from borrowers overseas, the account will be referred to a Debt Collection Agency (DCA). On average, DCAs deliver a return on investment of £5 for every £1 spent. From April 2024 to March 2025, recoveries from overseas borrowers stand at £3.74 million.A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

What proportion of borrowers who leave the UK after receiving student finance maintain full repayment compliance; and what mechanisms exist to enforce repayments from those living overseas.

As of April 2025, 6.1 million borrowers (English and EU nationals with loans from Student Finance England) are in Repayment. Of the 6.1 million, 286,000 (4.6%) reside overseas, of which 85,000 (29.7%) are EU nationals and 201,000 (70.3%) are English UK nationals. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025.In November 2025, 60.3% of borrowers residing overseas (EU and UK nationals) were compliant, and 39.7% non-compliant. The compliance rate for UK borrowers was 62.3%, and for EU borrowers 55.4%.The Student Loans Company (SLC) recovers approximately £10 million per month from customers residing overseas (both UK and EU nationals) at cost of approximately £339,000 per month. This is a return on investment of approximately 30:1.In the 2024/25 financial year, SLC’s repayments evasion unit recovered £7.7 million from non-compliant overseas borrowers. If the SLC is unable to recover outstanding debt directly from borrowers overseas, the account will be referred to a Debt Collection Agency (DCA). On average, DCAs deliver a return on investment of £5 for every £1 spent. From April 2024 to March 2025, recoveries from overseas borrowers stand at £3.74 million.A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.