EXCHANGE VISITS BY OVERSEAS SCHOOLCHILDREN

Early day motion 407, tabled 17 December 2002 by Simon Thomas (Plaid Cymru). Signed by 14 members.

That this House notes that overseas schoolchildren are only entitled to study at public (fee paying) schools in the United Kingdom, even when UK citizens are prepared to support them in the UK; notes that it would be unreasonable to expect overseas children to receive free education in the UK, but that the current rules militate against exchange visits of any length and discriminate against state schools; and asks the Government to review the immigration rules in favour of time-limited exchange visits by overseas schoolchildren.

Signatures by party: Labour 9, Liberal Democrat 3, Plaid Cymru 1, UUP 1.