Tuition Fees (Hansard, 19 December 1997)

§ Mr. Willis
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the income derived from tuition fees from medical students will be made available for medical school education. [20967]

§ Dr. Howells
Universities and colleges will retain the contribution to fees which they collect from students; and also the part of the fee they receive from local authorities, where the student is assessed as paying less than the £1,000. It is for universities with medical schools to decide how much of this income and of the grant received from the Higher Education Funding Council should be made available for medical school education.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the revenue raised through the introduction of tuition fees wil be used entirely to fund further and higher education by allowing the institutions which collect the money to spend it. [21847]

§ Dr. Howells
We have made it clear that the savings from the introduction of tuition fees will be used to improve quality, standards and opportunity for all in further and higher education.
For 1998–99 we have already announced that the introduction of private contributions to tuition fees for higher education will mean an extra £125 million for higher education institutions, plus £4 million to allow for a modest increase in students on sub degree courses mainly in FE colleges. In addition some £15 million of the higher education savings has been allocated to the further education sector to contribute to meeting the Government's priorities for reducing social exclusion and increasing employability.
366W
Provision for later years is being considered in the comprehensive expenditure review.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which body will be responsible for means-testing EU applicants to United Kingdom universities in order to determine the level of their contribution to the tuition fees; how this will be administered; and how much it will cost. [21848]

§ Dr. Howells
In England and Wales, local education authorities will handle applications for mandatory awards from all new entrants to higher education in 1998–99. The Department intends to offer them substantial practical assistance in handling applications from EU nations. The arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland respectively.