§ Baroness Davidasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many overseas students, undergraduate and postgraduate are attending (1) universities, (2) further education institutions in the years 1979–80, 1980–81, how many applications there are for places for 1981–82.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Baroness Young)Information in respect of student numbers is not yet available for the academic year 1980–81. In the year 1979–80 there were 35,177 overseas students in United Kingdom universities of whom 17,611 were undertaking undergraduate courses and 17,566 were postgraduates. In polytechnics and colleges of further education there were a total of 47,814 overseas students in Great Britain of whom 26,827 were on advanced courses in which the standard of instruction was above that required for GCE A-level. Early information on applications for 1981–82 is available only in respect of undergraduate courses to universities. By 1st November 1980 the Universities Central Council on Admissions had received 2,542 such applications from overseas candidates; this is however a small proportion of the number which they would eventually expect to receive.
House adjourned at twenty-one minutes past twelve o'clock midnight.