§ Mr. Willis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his Department will continue to repay student loans for teachers of shortage subjects under the Repayment of Teachers' Loans Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [142650]
§ Alan Johnson:This Department will continue to repay the student loans of teachers who were accepted onto the scheme during the current three-year pilot. A thorough evaluation of the pilot will be undertaken and will inform the decisions on the scheme's future beyond 2004–05.
§ Chris Grayling:To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the total cost of funding the increased student loan book after the introduction of top-up fees in 2006. [143692]
§ Alan Johnson:The increase in the amount of student loan after the introduction of variable fees will depend on the following factors: the numbers of students entering Higher Education Institutions (HEIs); the level of fees charged by each HEI; and the proportion of students who choose to take out loans to cover the cost of their fees, and the value of such loans. We will make further details available in the New Year in the Regulatory Impact Assessment, which will set out the financial implications of the policies announced in the Higher Education White Paper.