HC Deb 20 March 2001 vol 365 cc156-7W
Mrs. Betty Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice he has given to colleges of further education about the age at which men may be offered concessionary fees where women are offered such fees at the age of 60 years. [154056]

Mr. Wicks

Colleges of further education are generally free to vary or waive fees as they wish. The Further Education Funding Council (which is succeeded, from 1 April 2001, by the Learning and Skills Council) will

compensate them where they remit fees to certain groups of individuals, but these groups do not automatically include those aged 60 years and over