§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to increase commercial sponsorship in higher education. [134710]
§ Mr. WicksHigher education institutions generate funding from a variety of commercial sources including sponsorship, donations, fees for provision of education and training, contract research and other services. They do so without prejudice to their public funding, while the Higher Education Reach-Out to Business and the Community fund encourages more and closer relationships between industry and higher education. In addition some commercial organisations offer financial support to students in the form of sponsorship. From September 2001 the Government will raise to £4,000 the amount of bursary income that a student may receive from a sponsor before any deduction is made in the level of financial support for which they may be eligible.