§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is her estimate of the cost to the taxpayer in the current financial year of sponsoring full-time students from developing countries at universities or other institutions of higher or further education in the United Kingdom;
(2) what is the cost per place appropriate to all overseas students used by her Department to calculate the cost to public funds of such students in the current academic year;
(3) what was the total cost to public funds of the 10,894 full-time students from developing countries sponsored by the Government in 1976 referred to in her Written Answer, Official Report, 18th May, column 285; and whether this cost, or any part of it, was included in the figure of £57.9 million given in her Written Answer, Official Report, 22nd May, column 410, as the cost to public funds in 1976–77 of all the students from developing countries in non-university institutions of higher and further education.
226Wbase of 100: electricity, gas, domestic coal, finished steel, second-class postage, and a local telephone call.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe information is set out below. From movements in the intervening years it will be seen that the increases were concentrated in the first half of the period and reflected in part the phasing out of the deficits accumulated by a number of these industries.
§ Mr. OakesThe net cost per place used in estimating the total cost of places in institutions of higher and further education occupied by students from overseas is £1,284 at 1977 survey prices: this is an average cost arrived at by taking into account the distribution of all overseas students following courses at such institutions. The revised estimate of the net cost of all the university and non-university places occupied by students from developing countries in academic year 1976–77, about which I have written to the hon. Member, totals £90.1 million and includes the cost of the places held by the majority of the 10,894 full-time students sponsored by Her Majesty's Government. Because the information available about these students does not differentiate between the types of institution they attended, the total net recurrent institutional cost of those in non-university places cannot be assessed.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Overseas Development that the estimated cost to the taxpayer of the tuition fees, passages and maintenance of all Government sponsored full-time students from developing countries taking courses in the United Kingdom is £19 million in the current financial year.
227W
§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many overseas students there were at (a) university and (b) non-university institutions of higher and further education in the academic year 1976–77; and how many of these came from countries other than developing countries.
§ Mr. OakesThe information is as follows:
Universities (United Kingdom) Non-university higher and further education All overseas students 34,454 49,141 Those from countries other than developing countries 9,577 3,744 Note: Developing countries are those recognised as developing by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD.