§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the cost of exempting all university students living in(a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England from tuition fees. [84062]
§ Mr. Mudie[holding answer 13 May 1999]The following table shows the estimated private contributions to tuition fees from home and other EU full-time undergraduate students studying in universities and colleges in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England in 2000–01. These represent the cost of fee exemption assuming no consequent change to loan eligibility. Estimates of tuition fee income from part-time and postgraduate students are not readily available.
386W
£ million Financial year 2000–01 Scotland 41 Wales 23 Northern Ireland 13 England 333 For students ordinarily resident in England and Wales it is not possible to estimate separately the contributions from those aged over 21 and over 25.
The proportions of private contributions from those ordinarily resident in Scotland, and EU students at Scottish institutions, aged over 21 and over 25 are estimated to be 28 per cent. and 6 per cent. respectively. For students ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland the equivalent figures are estimated to be 10 per cent. and 4 per cent.