asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the proportion of foreign students to British students at institutions of higher and further education in the current academic year.

In 1978–79, the latest year for which information is available, about 10 per cent. of full-time and sandwich students at institutions of higher and further education were students classified as "overseas" for fees purposes. If part-time students including those at the Open University are counted in the total, the percentage is 3·5 per cent.