§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on recent developments in the field of educational and vocational exports. [97485]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 8 November 1999]: There have been a number of recent developments in the promotion of UK education and training exports, as part of fulfilling the Government's commitment in the Competitiveness White Paper, to the UK as a knowledge-based economy, including a programme of export promotion visits overseas by my noble Friend the Minister for Education and Employment and the three following initiatives.
The Prime Minister announced in June a strategy to attract an extra 75,000 overseas students to the UK by 2005 through stronger marketing and a better response to international students who might consider study in the UK.
Second, the Government have commissioned a review of British Training International, which was established in November 1997 to promote UK vocational education and training overseas.
Third, the Education and Training Exports Group, which reports to Ministers and brings together representatives of education and training under private sector leadership, is planning a high level conference next year to demonstrate to the leaders of British industry the ways in which education and training can be used as a marketing tool to enhance international business success.