The much-maligned National Distance Learning College (NDLC) was placed into receivership late in 2001.

The company, previously known as Assert Training, was registered to accept Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs): small grants to learners to help pay for courses.

When that scheme closed in 2001, amid allegations of fraud, the NDLC was one of several providers about whom allegations of improper conduct were made, for example in not delivering a course that had been paid for.

Inevitably, once in receivership, debts to learners were given a low priority, and few if any obtained re-imbursement.

Some were offered the opportunity to transfer to a new company, Tutorial Services, but not all.

The rest had little option but to start again, with another college, and pay a second time.

Neither the NDLC or Tutorial Services applied for ODL QC accreditation, let alone achieved it.

This meant unfortunately that their learners were not covered by our safeguards, so there was little that we could do to help.

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You can check the Companies House website at: www.companieshouse.gov.uk/info

To find out more about abuse of the ILA scheme follow the links from the press releases about "File on Four" (www.odlqc.org.uk/pr-fileon4.htm), and News of the World (www.odlqc.org.uk/pr-newsw.htm) investigations.

The full DfES Select Committee report can be downloaded from www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/
cmselect/cmeduski/561/56103.htm.