§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about trends in enrolment to further education in the last 12 months. [130086]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 12 July 2000]: Snapshot figures for November 1999 show that adult learners funded by the Further Education Council (FEFC) declined by 1.9 per cent. on 1998 while numbers of 16–18 year olds rose by 2.5 per cent. in the same period. The decline in adult learners reflects our squeezing out of the inappropriate franchising by some colleges allowed by the previous Government. The measures announced by the FEFC this year will help ensure that recruitment rises in line with Government projections for 2000–01 and 2001–02.