The Student Loans Company has spent Pounds 20 million on new technology since 1990, Eric Forth, the higher education minister, revealed this week. In an answer to a Parliamentary question from Bryan Davies, Labour's further and higher education spokesman, Mr Forth said the company had spent Pounds 12.2 million on computer operational costs, Pounds 6.9 million on its original software, and another Pounds 900,000 on replacement software.