§ 24. Mr. van Straubenzeeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science at how many universities in England and Wales fees for overseas students in the academic year 1967–68 are not to be raised in whole or in part in response to the Government's request.
§ The Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Anthony Crosland)I am aware of three universities in England and Wales which have decided for the time being not to increase the fees payable by any full-time overseas students. In addition, one university has decided not to raise the fees for existing overseas students who are privately financed.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeDo not these figures, which, as the right hon. Gentleman will doubtless agree, are of a preliminary nature, reveal that the economies he was so confident about will be quite substantially less than he expected and have been achieved only at the expense of very great hostility in the universities?
§ Mr. CroslandNo, Sir. The decisions taken by these universities will in no way affect the economies which I had sought to achieve, because the effect of the decisions taken by these four universities will be that they find certain sums of money, which indeed is their absolute 2459 right to do, out of their own budgets; so that my estimated economy figures will be unaltered by these figures.