Question on Higher Education Exports & Overseas Students from Bill Esterson MP

Written question answered on Wednesday 1 November 2017

On 24 October, Bill Esterson MP (Lab) asked the Secretary of State for International Trade what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Education, (b) Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (c) Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and (d) Home Affairs on (i) higher education exports and (ii) encouraging overseas students to study in the UK.

Answered on 1 November 2017 by Mark Garnier, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for International Trade).

The Department for Education will be a standing member of the DIT Education Sector Advisory Board. Other Government Departments, including the Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Home Office will be invited depending on the agenda for each meeting. The Government recognises the benefit that education exports bring to the UK and this Group will support the aspirations of the sector internationally.

DIT liaises regularly across Whitehall departments in support of growth in higher education exports. The Government actively champions study in the UK through the GREAT Campaign and through the British Council which promotes the UK in over 100 countries. The UK attracts high numbers of overseas students, second only to the USA in terms of our market share, and there continues to be no limit to the number who can come here to study.