51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

THE government has rejected the claimed threat to Scottish universities caused by its tuition fee plans. Brian Wilson, Scottish Office minister for education and industry, told the Commons that fears of a fall in applications from English, Welsh and Northern Irish students were unfounded.

These students will be charged tuition fees for their fourth year at a Scottish institution while Scottish and other European-domiciled students pay for only three. Mr Wilson cited St Andrews 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, a critic of the plans, as an example. He said that applications by English people to St Andrews, the university which has "made the most noise", were up by 6 per cent.