Education

University Students: Compensation for Lost Teaching and Rent

North Devon is the first place in England to record no covid cases for a week this year, and our students are keen to return to campus. Will my hon. Friend detail what measures are in place to ensure that they can do so safely, as they will inevitably be travelling to an area with higher rates of infection?

Universities continue to make significant investments in student and staff safety—including updated risk assessments, assessments of adequate ventilation and covid-secure measures such as mandatory social distancing, hand washing and face coverings—and testing is available to all students, who should currently be tested twice a week at their university test centre. From 17 May, we will move to home testing, with students first asked to take three PCR tests at their university test centre.

Letter of correction from the Minister for Universities, the hon. Member for Chippenham (Michelle Donelan).

An error has been identified in the response I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby).

The correct response should have been:

Universities continue to make significant investments in student and staff safety—including updated risk assessments, assessments of adequate ventilation and covid-secure measures such as mandatory social distancing, hand washing and face coverings—and testing is available to all students, who should currently be tested twice a week at their university test centre. From May, we will move to home testing, with students first asked to take three LFD tests at their university test centre.