HC Deb 22 May 1975 vol 892 cc618-9W
Mr. Hooley

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement on the future of the Overseas Students Fees Award Scheme.

Mrs. Hart

The scheme began in 1968–69 to assist developing countries following the increases in tuition fees. Awards were for tuition fees only and primarily, but not exclusively, for postgraduate studies. The scheme provides for 1,000 new awards each year and costs about £½ million per annum. Some 75 per cent. of the awards are for students nominated by their Governments the remaining 25 per cent. are for private students nominated by their university or other institution of higher education.

The scheme has been useful in meeting the needs for which it was designed but it has had a random effect in relation to the manpower needs and training programme of the countries concerned. I now propose to apply the funds now made available for Government nominees to the regional technical assistance programme where they will be available for training awards generaly in the light of manpower needs. Funds will continue to be made available for fees in hardship cases nominated by university and other institutions where the subject of study is such that it will contribute to the economic and social development of the country from which the candidate comes. At the moment there are about 250 such new awards each year and provision is being made to permit the figure to rise to 300, excluding any additional awards which may have to be made available as a result of an emergency situation such as, for example, Cypriot students for whom 500 extra awards were recently made available.