To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to increase the number of US students studying in this country. (282228)

I have no plans to bring forward specific proposals for increasing the number of students from the United States studying at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. However, through the second phase of the Prime Minister's initiative for international education (PMI2), the Government are working with the education sector to increase the number of international students studying in this country. The United States is one of the priority countries for PMI2. The numbers of students from the United States choosing to study in the UK has increased from 8,735 in 2000-01 to 13,900 students in 2007-08, the latest date for which data are available, an increase of 59 per cent.