§ Diana OrganTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the ability of(a) Birkbeck College, University of 212W London and (b) the Open University to compete with other higher education institutions once the new proposals for tuition fees and funding are in place in 2006; [154645]
(2) what investment plans he has assessed for (a)Birkbeck College, University of London and (b) the Open University; and whether these are included in the Higher Education Bill. [154647]
§ Alan JohnsonThe proposals for variable fees in the Higher Education Bill relate to full-time undergraduate students. The Government do not impose restrictions on the fees that may be charged for part-time undergraduate students, such as those attending Birkbeck College and the Open University. The Higher Education Funding Council for England will shortly be conducting a comprehensive review of how their funding for teaching is allocated. In accordance with the statement by my right hon. friend the Secretary of State to the House on 8 January 2004, a major focus of this review will be how the funding system might further support the development of part-time study.
§ Jim DowdTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much income was generated from fees paid by students for courses in colleges of further education in each of the past five years. [155219]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisInformation from the Learning and Skills Council shows that tuition fee income collected by further education institutions from Council funded adult students, their employers or other sources was as follows for the last three years:
Year £m 2000–01 1153 2001–02 159 2002–3 171 1Includes income from some 16 to 18-year-olds on part-time courses. Data for earlier years on a consistent basis are not available without disproportionate cost.