To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the students in north India, Bangladesh and Nepal who made applications under previous rules for tier 4 student visas to the United Kingdom to study at private colleges which have been suspended will have their applications automatically declined and fees returned; and how many such applications are pending decision under the previous rules. [HL2872]

Students who have made applications in North India, Bangladesh and Nepal to suspended colleges will have their applications considered once the outcome of the suspension is known.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord West of Spithead on 12 January (WA 148) and on 23 February (WA 296), whether they collate statistics on the number of foreign students granted visas to study at particular private colleges; and, if so, why it is commercially sensitive to provide details of the number of visas per college. [HL2874]

The UK Border Agency can collate statistics on the number of foreign students granted visas to study at particular private colleges if needed, but we do not do so regularly, except when we are making checks to ensure compliance with our rules.

Publication of such data would make commercially important information about the college's activities available to competitors and could put the private college at an unfair disadvantage.

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many student visas have been issued in the past ten years; and how many have been issued to dependants of students. [HL2875]

The information requested has only been collated since 2004. In the past six years, 1,305,592 entry clearance visas have been issued to students and 124,816 entry clearance visas have been issued to the dependants of students.