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Emerging Economies

Well, indeed. The third thing that we need to do to enhance UK growth relates to students from emerging economies. In all, some 48,000 overseas students study in the UK and they are vital to the UK's universities, as they bring in fees, ideas and an international perspective. Ever since Wong Fun graduated as a doctor from Edinburgh in 1855 there has been a large number of Chinese students in the UK. Their number has grown significantly in recent years, with nearly 5,000 starting new courses in 2008, along with 1,581 students from India. The Conservatives were direct about this issue during the general election campaign, saying that""our student visa system has become the biggest weakness in our border controls."" They said that they would""insist foreign students…pay a bond in order to study in this country, to be repaid after the student has left the country at the end of their studies"" and""ensure foreign students can prove that they have the financial means to support themselves in the UK"." By contrast, I note that the coalition agreement simply says that the Government will introduce new measures""to minimise abuse of the immigration system, for example via student routes"." I hope that the Minister will be able to tell us precisely what the Government's intentions are. Will a bond be payable? Does he expect that this will cut or increase the number of students coming to the UK from emerging economies? Has the Foreign Office been consulted on this process? In particular, what plans does he have for the Chevening scholarships? The Chevening website already says that this year's places cannot yet be confirmed, which means that people who have been offered places do not know whether they will be coming. When will the review be completed? How many students will be studying this year and for the next three years, and from which countries will they come?