§ Sir William van Straubenzeeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement about the cost to the Exchequer of higher education students from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
§ Sir Keith JosephI am pleased to announce that officials of the Department and the Home Office have reached provisional agreement with the island authorities that a contribution equivalent in real terms to two and a half times the 1981–82 home undergraduate tuiton fee will be paid to the Department in respect of island students in higher education in the United Kingdom. This is an extension of the present arrangement whereby a contribution is paid in respect of teacher-training students. The new arrangements will come into effect for first-year 459W undergraduate and postgraduate students and all teacher-training students from the academic year 1981–82. The home rate of tuition fee will also be paid direct to the institutions. The increased income has been taken into account in the Department's expenditure plans for higher education.