To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research his Department conducted on likely levels of demand for its Partner University Placement Scheme among eligible groups prior to the scheme’s inception. (258547)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office used a Higher Education Standards Agency report to identify 10 universities that performed highest across three key standards: academic performance, social inclusion and ethnic diversity. We did not conduct specific research among the eligible groups into the likely levels of demand for the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department’s Partner University Placement Scheme was established; and how many students have taken part in the scheme. (258548)

The Partner University Placement Scheme was established in 2007. 21 students have taken part in the scheme to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the eligibility criteria for students wishing to take part in his Department’s Partner University Placement Scheme are. (258549)

The eligibility criteria for the Partner University Placement Scheme are that students must be:

either

from a minority ethnic background

or

in receipt of a full university maintenance grant (or Scottish equivalent).

and

from Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Oxford, King’s College London, University College London or Manchester Universities,

in their penultimate or final year of university,

be 16 years or over at the time of applying,

be a British citizen,

have been resident in the UK for two out of the last 10 years immediately prior to their application, at least one year of which must have been a consecutive 12-month period, unless they have served overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of our Government, or have lived overseas a result of their parents’ or partner’s Government employment.