§ Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the arrangement with the National Union of Students described in paragraph 4.5 of their White Paper The Future of Higher Education was submitted to competitive tender; and whether the information used to compile the proposed guide will be made available to the new guide's commercial competitors Virgin and Push. [HL1239]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)The department will consider with the National Union of Students the nature of the proposed guide and its role in its development. No decisions have been made with regard to contracting for the work.