Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Brinton (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Monday, 30 April 2012.

Migration: University-sponsored Students

Question: My Lords, if the Government are not happy to change the system of permanent and temporary migration figures, and given that in the past they have said that they cannot always track students leaving the country, will they please consider using the HESA statistics, which record students when they leave the country—or, even better, get the border agency to ask students as they leave whether they have completed their studies rather than just where they are going?

Answer: My noble friend goes on to a somewhat more detailed point, which I will have to look at. I would certainly be more than happy to do that and write to her.

Secondary information