§ Mr. Russell Johnstonasked the Lord Privy Seal how many overseas students and visitors the British Council handled or placed in the past three years, on cultural and arts studies programmes in Great Britain; and if he will show how these were allocated to institutions or programmes in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively.
§ Mr. RidleyThe number of students was as follows:
481W
Students 1978/79 1,478 1979/80 1,387 1980/81 1,419 These figures include visitors and those attending short courses in, for example, the arts, town planning, publishing and librarianship. I regret that the regional distribution within the United Kingdom is not available except at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Russell Johnstonasked the Lord Privy Seal what commissions were paid to the British Council in the past three years for handling or placing overseas students and visitors on courses and study tours in Great Britain; and if he will show what amounts came from United Nations-funded, from Overseas Development Administration-funded, from Government-funded and from otherwise funded programmes.
§ Mr. RidleyIn the three years to March 1981 the British Council received from the Overseas Development Administration £11,040,000 and from the European Commission £184,839 as contributions towards the cost of managing and administering overseas students and visitors in Britain. The figures for overseas Governments and other agencies—for example, development banks—are not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Overseas Development Administration contribution includes the cost of British Council posts overseas which select and administer the students in their own country and placement and welfare services in Britain. No administrative charges were made to United Nations agencies before 1 April 1981.
§ Mr. Russell Johnstonasked the Lord Privy Seal (1) what were the total course and placement fees paid by foreign students and visitors handled by the British Council in the past three years for (a) general management courses, excluding industrial training, (b) cultural and arts studies programmes and visits and (c) fisheries related courses; and if he will show how these fees were shared, in each case, between institutions in England, Wales and Scotland;
(2) what total course fees were paid by overseas students handled by the British Council in the past three years; and if he will show how these fees were allocated to institutions in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively.
§ Mr. RidleyI regret that this information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.