§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what circumstances the 9,500 full-time and 800 part-time foreign students, currently taking English language courses in England and Wales, are eligible to draw British social security benefits; and if he will itemise all such benefits for which such a student could be eligible.
§ Mr. OrmeNational insurance benefits may be payable to foreign students if they are able to satisfy the normal contribution and other conditions for the benefit concerned. The benefits most likely to be claimed would be unemployment or sickness benefit, but the number of foreign students who would be entitled to these benefits is likely to be extremely small. So far as supplementary benefit is concerned, foreign students are admitted to this country on the understanding that they will be self-supporting for the duration of their stay and benefit is therefore not normally payable to them.