Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost to the public purse was of Chevening scholarships in each of the last three years.

The budget for the Chevening Programme in the past three financial years including this year is as follows:

2012-13 - £17.5 million – 712 scholars
2013-14 - £16.75 million – 620 scholars
2014-15 - £18.24 million – 650-700 scholars (projected)

Approximately 90% of Chevening funding is spent on scholarships at British Universities, scholar events and alumni activities each year. The remaining 10% is spent on administration and overhead costs.

This funding is supplemented by an increasing contribution from private business and universities (for example, through fee waivers). Partnership funding this financial year stands at around £5.6 million.