asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the number of students who have benefited from exchange visits under bilateral cultural arrangements with (a) the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, (b) other East European countries and (c) Third world countries in each year since 1972–73; and what projections are made of numbers over the next five years.

According to the best figures available, the following exchange visits^* took place in the years in question under intergovernmental cultural agreements and programmes with (a) the USSR and (b) other East European countries:

	USSR		Other East European Countries
Year	To USSR	To United Kingdom	To East European Countries	To United Kingdom
1972–73	47	40	29	106
1973–74	44	34	46	89
1974–75	54	34	51	95
1975–76	52	48	46	104
1976–77	43	47	56	107
1977–78	42	43	70	123
1978–79	49	43	61	114
1979–80	47	44	70	105
1980–81	54	44	68	101
1981–82	47	41	46	98
1982–83	41	38	40	134
*Note: The figures given are for medium or long-term students and do not include language students attending summer schools or private language courses.

While it is not possible to predict future numbers with any certainty, they are expected to remain of the same order as in the past. In general cultural agreements with Third world countries do not provide for specific exchanges. It is not possible to give figures for Third world countries.