Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many EEC students are now receiving grants to attend universities and centres of higher education in Northern Ireland; what is the total estimated cost of these grants; how many of these EEC students come from the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyExact figures are not yet available. However, approximately 90 EEC students (of whom 88 come from the Republic of Ireland) are currently receiving discretionary grants, consisting of fees only, to attend universities and centres of higher education in Northern352W Ireland. In addition to these, some 1,030 EEC students in these institutions are not charged fees, in accordance with the arrangements announced in this House on 1 July 1986 by the then Secretary of State for Education and Science. It is not possible to say precisely how many of the latter came from the Republic of Ireland, but it is known that the overwhelming majority are from that country. The total estimated costs of these grants and forgone fee income is around £655,000.
Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many undergraduates are at(a) University of Ulster and (b) Queen's university, Belfast; how many students from other EEC countries attend each of these universities; and, of these, how many from the Republic of Ireland attend each of the universities.
§ Dr. MawhinneyProvisional information for the 1988–89 academic year is as follows:
Total (a) Other EC1 (b) Republic of Ireland (c) University of Ulster Full-time 7,781 59 828 Part-time 2,017 — 51 Queen's University Full-time 6,699 4 191 Part-time 773 4 6 1 Excluding United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Note: Figures in columns (b) and (c) are included in column (a).