Question
I welcome the Home Secretary’s focus on fairness. People know that this country has a set of rules, and we all should adhere to them, whether we arrive in this country or are born here. The Home Secretary raised the matter of English language. Many people have settled already, and some have come in as spouses, without good English. This is a very gendered issue, with many women in particular trapped because they do not have access to English. Is she working with colleagues across Government and society generally to make sure that better English language teaching is available, so that people are not excluded and are able to participate fully?
Answer
My hon. Friend raises an incredibly important point, and she is right to talk about the gendered nature of those who are able to access English learning in this country. This Government have raised the English level expected of most migrants coming into this country, including refugees, apart from those on the UK resettlement route, precisely because we believe a good standard of English is absolutely critical to the ability of people to integrate fully into this country. Let me assure her that those cross-Government conversations are happening, and I would be happy to meet her in order to provide her with an update in due course.
Verdict: AMBER (62/100)
The reply addresses the part of the question about working with colleagues across Government. It confirms those discussions are happening and names a concrete approach, raising the English standard expected of most migrants, linked to integration. It offers a follow-up update, but says little about working with wider society or about how the availability of English teaching will be ensured, so those parts of the question remain unanswered.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Home Secretary is working with colleagues across Government and society generally to ensure better English language teaching is available, so that people are not excluded and are able to participate fully. | Addressed | Direct | Statement 4 directly confirms that cross-Government conversations on the issue are happening, which answers the 'working with colleagues across Government' part. Statements 2 and 3 name a concrete mechanism (raising the English standard expected of most migrants) and tie it to integration, and statement 5 offers a follow-up update. The reply does not say much about working with wider society or about how teaching availability is ensured, so the answer is incomplete on that side. |