§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the Welsh Office plans to fund all four years of study by students from Wales at Scottish Universities; how many students from Wales are currently in the fourth year of a degree course at a Scottish University; and what assessment he has made of the cost of funding this fourth year. [16092]
§ Mr. HainThere were around 100 students from Wales in the fourth year of first degree courses at Scottish institutions in 1996–97 (the latest year for which figures are available). As in England, students from lower-income families will have the whole of their tuition fees paid for686W them in the fourth as in the previous three years, whilst others may have part of their fees paid, depending on an assessment of their parents', spouses' or own income.
We estimate that the extra of meeting the contributions payable by students from Wales towards fees in the fourth year of first degree courses at Scottish institutions would be some £45,000.