HC Deb 14 January 2004 vol 416 c749W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on equality of opportunity for students of competition between higher education institutions on price. [147240]

Alan Johnson

[holding answer 12 January 2004]In his statement to the House on student support in higher education on 8 January my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced a package of support the purpose of which is to ensure that no student from a poor background would be worse off as a result of proposals in the Higher Education Bill, whichever university they attend and whatever the fee charged for the course. Higher Education institutions wishing to charge higher fees will have to enter into an access agreement with the Office for Fair Access. These access agreements will set out the measures that institutions will take to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are not deterred from higher education because of higher fees. My right hon. Friend also said that the Government would establish an independent review, working with the Office for Fair Access, to report to the House on the impact of variable fees, based upon the first three years of their operation.

Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) full-time and (b) part-time students are enrolled on courses at higher education institutions in the north-west. [143453]

Alan Johnson

The available information is given in the table.

All higher education enrolments1,2 at, north-west higher education institutions, 2001–02
Institution region Full-time Part-time Total
North West GOR3 104,944 45,037 149.981
Total England4 1,003,229 591,138 1,594,367
1 Snapshot as at 1 December.
2 Includes students from both home and overseas domiciles and covers enrolments to all levels of higher education course.
3 Government Office Region.
4 Including higher education institutions in the north-west and the Open University.

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).