To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his estimate on (a) the present accounting basis and (b) a resource accounting basis of the yields from (i) student contributions to university tuition fees and (ii) the switch from maintenance grants to loans for each year from 1998–99 to 2015–16. [34434]

The following table shows the estimated savings from the Government's new funding policy for higher education in each year from 1998–99 to 2000–01 on the present cash accounting basis and on a resource accounting basis. Figures are for the United Kingdom and at 1995–96 prices. They do not reflect our decision to pay out loans on a termly basis, which released money in 1998–99.

£ million
	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01
Present accounting
Additional net loans expenditure1	(400)	(750)	(1,100)
Grants savings	250	600	850
Private contributions to tuition fees
	150	250	400
Net savings	0	100	150
Resource accounting2
Additional net loans expenditure1	(50)	(100)	(250)
Net savings	350	750	1,050
1 Costs are shown in brackets. The figure takes account of additional repayments.
2 Methods of implementing resource accounting are still being determined. The figures presented here are based on the Department's present assumptions. Grants savings and private contributions to tuition fees are the same under cash accounting and resource accounting.

Figures are not available for later years, where the breakdown between loans expenditure and savings from grants and private contributions to tuition fees depends on a number of assumptions. However the estimated net savings in 2002–03 and 2015–16 are £250m and £1,100m on the present accounting basis and £1,050m and £650m on a resource accounting basis.