§ 40. Mr. John Hallasked the Minister of Education whether he will revise his new Regulations in order to allow students to retain college scholarships awarded in recognition of academic merit, whether or not these scholarships are recognised as qualifying the holder for the award of a State scholarship.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education (Sir Edward Boyle)No, Sir. Section 100 of the Education Act, 1944, and the Regulations made thereunder require my right hon. Friend, to relate the value of a State scholarship to the total financial circumstances of the scholar or his parents, including any other scholarship held by him, with the object of avoiding hardship.
§ Mr. HallWould not my hon. Friend agree that it is both discouraging and unfair to a student who has worked hard and won an award for academic ability to be denied the benefit of that award and be put on exactly the same level as other less outstanding students?
§ Sir E. BoyleI am aware of my hon. Friend's concern about this. The point of the supplemental State scholarship scheme is that it makes up the value of the college scholarship to that of the State scholarship. This question will, no doubt, be considered by the Anderson Committee, which is not precluded by its terms of reference from recommending changes which require legislation.