§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what powers exist to recover the cost of education provided at public expense to those ineligible to receive such education: [7952]
(2) how much was recovered, in the last year for which information is available, of the cost of education provided at public expense to those ineligible to receive such education; and how much is estimated to remain uncollected. [7953]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 16 October 2001]: All school children living in Britain are eligible to receive education free of charge provided by local education authorities. This Government have already extended free nursery education for four-year-olds and will do so for every three-year-old, whose parents want it, by 2004. For higher education, the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2001 determine the eligibility of students to receive financial support and the circumstances in which such costs can be recovered from ineligible students. Information on costs recovered from higher education students who are found to be ineligible are unobtainable, as these repayments are not differentiated from other forms of repayments from eligible students.