Question follow-through · 113310
Higher Education: Freedom of Speech
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many whistleblowing complaints relating to (a) free speech, (b) academic freedom and (c) political discrimination have been reported to her Department since 2020.
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Department for Education
- Tabled
- 12 Feb 2026
- Target answer date
- 23 Feb 2026
- Answer
- 1 Apr 2026 · 48 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Education and skills
- Further Education: Finance · 10 Apr 2026
- Further Education: Finance · 10 Apr 2026
- Further Education: Finance · 10 Apr 2026
- Teachers: Pay · 10 Apr 2026
- Students: Finance · 16 Apr 2026
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Recorded timeline
12 Feb 2026
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many whistleblowing complaints relating to (a) free speech, (b) academic freedom and (c) political discrimination have been reported to her Department since 2020.
23 Feb 2026
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
1 Apr 2026
Answer published
This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom. Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, the department is not the prescribed person for whistleblowing concerns in higher education (HE) and does not receive whistle...
Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Further Education: Finance
10 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in funding for 16 to 19 education in 2026-27 on the financial sustainability of further education colleges.
Further Education: Finance
10 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's joint publication entitled Post-16 education and skills white paper, published on 20 October 2025, whether it remains her policy to increase 16–19 funding in real terms for th
Further Education: Finance
10 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the lagged funding model for 16–19 provision, in the context of trends in the level of demographic growth and the inability of further education colleges to receive full in-year fund
Teachers: Pay
10 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the pay gap between further education teachers and school teachers, and the potential impact of this gap on the level of recruitment and retention in technical subjects
Students: Finance
16 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what number of students have been notified that they may be reassessed as ineligible for maintenance support as a result of incorrect course classifications by higher education providers.
Students: Finance
16 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Student Loans Company on the processes used to verify course attendance requirements before awarding maintenance support.
Students: Finance
16 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has assessed the extent to which franchised higher education provision contributed to the misclassification of weekend-only courses as eligible for maintenance loans.
Students: Finance
16 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will consider pausing repayment demands until an investigation into the causes of the incorrect payments has been completed.
Pupil Exclusions
20 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the increase in pupil suspensions in England since 2016.
Pupil Exclusions
20 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the increase in pupil suspensions in England since 2024.
Pupil Exclusions
20 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of suspensions issued to pupils each year.
Pupil Exclusions
20 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many suspensions were issued in each of the last five academic years, broken down by type of school.