§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many foreign students at institutions of higher and further education are in receipt of grants from public funds;
(2) what grants or other publicly-funded awards are available to students at institutions of higher and further education who are citizens of countries other than the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. OakesMy Department does not collect the statistical information requested since the awards for which my right hon. Friend is responsible do not depend on nationality. Mandatory awards are available to all eligible applicants who have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for at least three years before the first year of their course. Local education authorities have discretionary powers to make other awards for which they determine their own conditions of eligibility. Subject to the three-year residence rule, foreign nationals may compete for my Department's awards for postgraduate awards, and I understand the practice of the research councils is similar.
Assistance is also available under the technical co-operation training programmes which are financed by my right
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"Yes" Vote "No"Vote Did not Vote* Borders … … … … 45.1 17.3 37.4 Central … … … … 37.9 25.5 36.5 Dumfries and Galloway … … … … 41.5 19.4 39.0 Fife … … … … 35.5 27.5 36.8 Grampian … … … … 33.4 24.0 42.5 Highland … … … … 31.6 26.3 41.9 Lothian … … … … 37.6 25.6 36.6 Strathclyde … … … … 35.3 25.9 38.7 Tayside … … … … 37.1 26.2 36.5 Orkney Islands … … … … 29.5 18.2 52.2 Shetland Islands … … … … 20.8 26.9 52.2 Western Isles … … … … 15.0 35.9 48.9 *The figure shown is the arithmetical difference between the total number on the electoral register and the total ballot papers counted or rejected, expressed as a percentage. hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development.