§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to assist the United Kingdom Council for Overseas Student Affairs.
§ Mr. BrookeThe United Kingdom council for overseas student affairs provides advice and information to overseas students in this country and to the institutions of further and higher education they attend, and promotes the study of questions affecting the education of overseas students. In recognition of the benefits of the council's work to overseas students and to further and higher education, and in response to an approach from the council, my right hon. Friend has decided, subject to parliamentary approval and to the availability of resources, to make the council an annual grant to provide a regular source of Government support instead of the intermittent and ad hoc grants that have previously been offered. The council will nevertheless continue to have to rely for the major part of its funding on its members and on the generosity of private and corporate donors, as is appropriate for a voluntary organisation of this nature.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the Estimates in due course, my right hon. Friend proposes that the grant to the council for 1985–86 should be £72,000.