§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on trends in enrolment to further education. [3184]
§ John Healey[holding answer 11 July 2001]The number of students enrolled in FE colleges and on further education provision in other institutions in 1999–2000 was 4,274,000. This compares with a peak of 4,463,000 in 1996–97, when inappropriate franchising arrangements, some of which gave rise to provision of dubious worth, had caused the participation figures to increase sharply and unsustainably. We are committed to increasing real participation in further education and we are providing real terms increases in further education funding to achieve this.