To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail what communications she has already had with (i) student bodies/organisations; (ii) universities; and (iii) individual students about students’ return for semester two.

The Department for Health has lead responsibility for guidance in relation to the safety of students and the wider public. There are a number of cross-cutting issues related to student travel and welfare and the Executive Office has been asked to co-ordinate these plans, with a Task and Finish Group established to do so, which my officials have been involved in, alongside a variety of other Departments.

There is guidance, approved by my Health and Executive Office colleagues, for students travelling at Christmas time and the NUS-SUI were given sight of this draft guidance for comment. The feedback provided included a call for clarity in relation to the return which has been fed back into the TEO led task group. It is intended they will be consulted, in regards to any further guidance, to provide messaging to students to best ensure compliance.

There has been engagement with the local HE providers around their plans for semester 2 in relation to term start dates and percentage of face to face delivery planned to feed into any wider guidance produced by the Task Group.

My Department has had no discussions with individual students and there are no plans to do so.