HL Deb 27 April 1977 vol 382 cc554-7

2.47 p.m.

Lord ORR-EWING

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is being taken to make sure that students coming to the United Kingdom to attend language schools—

  1. (a) return to their own countries on completion of the course;
  2. (b) are attending genuine schools which are not set up in order to encourage illegal immigration.

The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Harris of Greenwich)

My Lords, each student is checked to ensure that he leaves the United Kingdom on completion of his studies unless he qualifies to remain on some other basis. As for the second part of the Question, the Immigration Rules require an applicant for an extension of stay as a student to produce evidence of enrolment for a full-time course of daytime study, and of regular attendance, which are checked with the school concerned. Where the Home Secretary has evidence of the unreliability of a particular school's records, it is open to him to refuse to accept time spent at that establishment as counting towards the weekly minimum number of hours of study required to qualify a person for admission or an extension of stay as a student.

Lord ORR-EWING

My Lords, has the Minister read the transcript which I sent to him of the television programme that was broadcast on London Weekend Television on 27th March? What comment has he to make on the statement by an official of the General and Municipal Workers' Union that some of these language schools are there to provide pieces of paper to bogus students, who then stay on in this country as illegal immigrants? What steps are the Home Office now taking to tighten up on the inspection and regulation of these schools—albeit a very small minority, because the great majority of them are entirely efficient and dedicated to the task of teaching languages and other subjects? What steps are being taken to deal with this minority, and have any licences been withdrawn in the last two or three years?

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

Yes, my Lords, one licence has been withdrawn. So far as the second part of the noble Lord's question is concerned, I understand that the position is that the Secretary of State for Education and Science operates an administrative, non-statutory procedure under which recognition as efficient is granted to independent establishments which offer courses comparable to those available in local education authority colleges. This is a non-statutory arrangement which is administered by the Secretary of State for Education and Science and not by the Home Secretary. If, however, the Home Secretary believes that there is an abuse he can take action and, as I have indicated, he has done so in one particular case.

Baroness GAITSKELL

My Lords, I should like to ask the Minister what hard evidence exists that these language schools have been set up?—because we cannot take simply a TV series or a TV programme as hard evidence about these educational programmes.

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

My Lords, where there is any indication that there is an abuse of the arrangement, as I have indicated the Home Secretary will take action, and he has done this in one particular case. But certainly in response to what my noble friend has said, I think that in all parts of the House we should recognise that this country derives a great deal of advantage as a result of having non-British students in our educational institutions.

Baroness VICKERS

My Lords, are lists available in the embassies or the offices of the British Council which people in the countries overseas can scrutinise to see which are the really reputable associations for teaching the English language?

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

My Lords, without notice I am afraid I cannot answer as to how much information of this sort is available in posts abroad, but I will certainly inquire and ensure that a letter is sent to the noble Baroness.

Lord SEGAL

My Lords, since the knowledge of English acquired by many of these foreign students is often incomplete, would not the Government consider providing a larger allocation to the British Council for the purpose of establishing continuation schools in their countries of origin, similar to the one opened by the Foreign Secretary in Cairo two days ago?

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

My Lords, with respect to my noble friend, I think that question covers rather different territory from that raised in the original Question.

Lord ORR-EWING

My Lords, in reply to the question asked by my noble friend Lady Vickers, is the noble Lord aware that the association of recognised English language schools publish a very full list of recognised and responsible schools? Is he further aware that there are now 80.000 language students coming to this country every year, which by and large is wholly admirable and probably to the great advantage of our country, but as long as there are arrangements which are not so respectable and responsible and can be described, as they were in this instance by a trade union official, as "a Home Office fiddle", there is obviously room for improvement in the manner in which these schools are inspected and the assurance that students who report do actually attend the schools as registered students and do not just use it as an excuse for staying in this country?

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

My Lords, I think we all recognise that many of these schools do useful work; but certainly there is a common interest to ensure that there is no abuse, and, where there is abuse, that action is taken to remedy it.