PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
English Language: Education (22 July 2019)

The government recognises that learning English is essential to help people integrate into life in England, including breaking down barriers to work and empowering refugees to rebuild their lives. That is why the Department for Education supports adults in England through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) to secure the English language skills they need. The AEB is allocated on an annual basis, and colleges and adult learning providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities. This includes planning, with local partners, the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses that they will deliver locally. The Home Office and the Department for Education have also provided £10 million specifically to enable refugees resettled through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to access additional classes.

The government has committed to developing a new strategy for ESOL in 2019. The strategy will provide a shared vision for all publicly funded English language provision including addressing the needs of refugees and migrants. Funding for all programmes beyond 2019/20, including any potential funding for this strategy, will be set during the upcoming Spending Review.