HC Deb 22 March 1965 vol 709 cc29-30W
Mr. Jackson

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what progress is being made in the provision of new hostel accommodation in Great Britain for Commonwealth students.

Mr. Bottomley

Provision for additional hostel accommodation for overseas students, particularly those from the Commonwealth, is made under the Overseas Students Welfare Expansion Programme initiated by the Government in 1961. The position of the programme in the middle of March, 1965, was that a total provision of 3,427 additional hostel places (some two-thirds being for the Overseas Commonwealth) had been approved in principle by the Treasury. These schemes involved Overseas Students Welfare Expansion Programme grants amounting to £2,278,908. A further 568 places are likely to be provided under schemes now under consideration. These involve grants totalling £429,909. If all these projects are completed, the total beds provided will amount to 3,995 and the expendiure to £2,708,817. The number of places so far actually available is 1,979 and the total of grants paid is £1,207,679.