HC Deb 09 May 2001 vol 368 cc173-4W
Ms Glenda Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of higher education students are not paying tuition fees in(a) London and (b) English universities and higher education establishments. [159613]

Mr. Wicks

In England and Wales, students on undergraduate courses and their families are expected to make a contribution towards their tuition fees only if they can afford to do so.

In academic year 1999–2000, the latest year for which data are available, for students who are normally domiciled in London as a whole (studying in the UK), the proportion of students who are liable for fees under the Education (Student Support) Regulations and who do not have to pay a contribution towards their fees is estimated to be 58 per cent. For students normally domiciled in England (studying in the UK) this figure is estimated to be 45 per cent.