HC Deb 18 December 2003 vol 415 cc1059-60W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the(a) higher education and (b) further education courses for which fee costs are paid by public sector employers. [144281]

Alan Johnson

For higher education courses, the Department for Education and Skills pays the fee costs of students attending post graduate initial teacher training courses. Information for other Departments and public sector bodies are not held centrally.

For further education courses, we expect all adults, or their employers, in further education to contribute towards the cost of their learning. Those on low incomes or on basic skills courses do not pay tuition fees. There is no general provision of learning or special fee arrangements specifically for public sector employers. Individual colleges or other post-16 providers may have locally organised arrangements with individual employers. No information is held centrally about such arrangements.