HL Deb 05 February 1980 vol 404 cc1153-5
Baroness DAVID

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they approve of LEAs, under present circumstances, opening new colleges not for British students but exclusively for foreigners.

The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Baroness Young)

My Lords, the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding overseas students is that the present subsidy in the education budget should be progressively removed from 1980–81 onwards. So long as local education authorities take full account of that, and so long as they comply with race relations legislation, the form of provision which they make for overseas students is their own responsibility.

Baroness DAVID

My Lords, may I thank the Minister for that reply. It does not exactly cover what I intended to ask. What I wish to ask is whether plans which certain local education authorities have for opening colleges met with the approval of the Government. I am thinking of Nottinghamshire County Council which plans to open in September 1980 a college in Eaton Hall which is going to be for foreign students, mostly from the Middle East, and they apparently are expecting to lose up to £500,000 in the first three years until it goes into profit, and while at the same time—

Several noble Lords

Question!

Baroness DAVID

—Nottinghamshire is cutting adult classes by 86 per cent., withdrawing its grant of £14,000 from the WEA and £20,000 from the University of Nottingham's extra mural department. Does the Minister approve of this?

Baroness YOUNG

My Lords, my understanding of the position is that Nottinghamshire local education authority plan to use a college, which is at present a college of education where initial teacher training is due to end this year, for overseas students and also for British firms involved in the export trade. The position with regard to the money would be that, provided that it is the local education authority's firm policy to break even within a specified period of time, we would have no reason to take exception to the proposal.

Baroness GAITSKELL

My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether it is not true that of all the West European countries we are bottom of the league in the matter of spending money on adult education? Do we not need every penny—the Government are always "binding on" about this—for education at the moment, particularly for the 16 and 19 year olds?

Baroness YOUNG

My Lords, the noble Baroness has really addressed herself to Lady David's second Question. It will be better if I referred my answers on adult education in that context.

Lord KILMARNOCK

My Lords, in view of the noble Baroness's undertaking in the debate on overseas students on Wednesday 12th December last year (I quote from column 1346 of Hansard) that, The policy on full cost fees will be looked at when the position on enrolments is clear", may I ask the noble Baroness whether she is aware of the significant drop in the enrolment in certain universities and polytechnics? Secondly, may I ask her whether she will undertake to encourage the placement of foreign students in existing establishments where their fees would be most welcome?

Baroness YOUNG

My Lords, the general question on overseas matters is outside the terms of the Question which has been asked. Of course, what Nottinghamshire are proposing to do, if they decide to carry this out, is to accept overseas students on full cost. That is an essential part of Government policy, were they to use this hall for this particular purpose.

Baroness DAVID

My Lords, does the Minister not think that there is plenty of room in existing establishments for these students? Other colleges may well have space. Does she not think it would be better to use these spaces and save money for other more necessary purposes?

Baroness YOUNG

My Lords, the noble Baroness knows—as I do—that this is a matter for the local education authority to determine. They will no doubt take account of the economics and what they expect to do at the end of three years, as the numbers build up. No doubt they will consider these factors when they take their decisions about it.

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