Funding for English for speakers of other languages (Esol) has been more than halved over the last seven years, government figures reveal.

In 2009-10, funding for Esol courses through the Skill Funding Agency’s adult skills budget was £203 million. In 2015-16 this had fallen to £90 million.

The figures, released on Thursday by apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon, show that funding for the courses has been reduced year on year from 2009/10 (the earliest year on record), except for an increase in funding in 2012-13.

However, the data also shows an increase in funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) for English language projects. From 2013-14 the DCLG have funded six projects to “engage isolated adults with poor or no English”, with funding increasing from £120,000 in 2012-13 to £2.53 million in 2015-16.

‘We need urgent action’

Last month the Casey Review on social integration concluded that the government should make additional funding available for community-based English classes, and that a shared language was “fundamental’ for integration to take place within immigrant communities.

Stephen Evans, chief executive at Learning and Work Institute, said: “Knowing that language is vital to integration, cohesive communities, social inclusion and individual opportunity, we need urgent action to help the estimated 850,000 people in the UK with Esol needs, as well as the millions of other adults with basic skills needs.”

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