THERE was no evidence of adverse effect on Scottish universities from tuition fees, the Scottish Office head of higher education said yesterday, writes Chris Holme.

Addressing a conference in Edinburgh, Mr Graeme Dickson said fees had not put off students starting the current academic year: ''This year there are, in fact, more English and Northern Irish students in Scottish universities than there were last year, despite predictions from the press the bottom would fall out of the market.''

Mr Dickson said the fees restored some equity to a system where undergraduates had contributed nothing when postgraduates, overseas, part-time, and virtually all other students had to pay.

He said universities would benefit directly from an estimated #40m a year from fees. Around 40% of undergraduates would continue to pay nothing and a further 30% only part of the #1000 a year. That left 30%, typically among families earning #35,000 a year or more, having to pay the full #1000.