§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development what consultations have taken place or are planned between his Department and those of the developing countries of the Commonwealth with regard to the recent increased payment for overseas students' fees; and what assessment has been made of the immediate and long-term needs of each territory respectively.
§ Mr. OramPrior notice of the details of the decision to increase fees for higher education was conveyed to our Embassies and High Commissions in overseas developing countries to enable them to inform the Governments of those countries as soon as the announcement of the increase was made to the House. Calculations have been made, on the best available evidence, of the amounts required to enable Her Majesty's Government to meet the increased fees in the future in respect of overseas students financed from British official sources, and to meet the increases in the next two years in respect of students who have already embarked on courses of study and who are financed by the Governments of developing countries. The House will be asked to vote money to enable these costs to De met. It is proposed that the British Council should administer a fund on behalf of the Ministry out of which the increased costs in respect of existing students financed by overseas governments will be met and the Council will consult the representatives of Overseas148W Governments in London on the extent of their commitments in this respect.
With regard to other students from developing countries who are privately financed, it will be open to Overseas Governments, if they consider these students to be worthy of governmental support, to make representations for an increased allocation of training funds from the overall total of technical assistance funds which we are able to make available for allocation to those countries.