HC Deb 27 October 1960 vol 627 cc2550-2
6. Mr. Wall

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the majority Report of the Anderson Committee, he will now recommend the abolition of parental contributions for students receiving awards from public funds.

14. Mrs. White

asked the Minister of Education what decision has been reached on the recommendations of the Anderson Committee concerning parental means tests for university students.

16. Mr. John Hall

asked the Minister of Education if he is prepared to accept the majority Report of the Anderson Committee that the means test on university awards be abolished.

Sir D. Eccles

I shall very shortly announce a radical revision of the present means test, to be brought in by the autumn of 1961. This is without prejudice to the abolition of the means test if that, on full examination, should turn out to be required.

Mr. Wall

Does that Answer mean that it is possible that the means test may be abolished by the date given by my right hon. Friend if his inquiries lead him to think that that is desirable?

Sir D. Eccles

It is hard for me to say, because the inquiries will have to be very extensive in order to find out the probable full cost of abolition having regard to the expansion of full-time higher education.

Mrs. White

Can the Minister give us some idea how he is to conduct these inquiries, because it surely must be rather difficult to know how many parents in future will be liable? Therefore, should not he decide this on the matter of principle rather than on a matter of statistical computation? It seems to me that this is a matter which should be decided on principle and does not merit further investigation than has already been carried out by the Committee under the very competent chairmanship of Sir Colin Anderson.

Sir D. Eccles

The Committee looked only at the university aspect of this problem. There are, as the hon. Lady knows, courses comparable with university courses. We have to consider what our expansion plans are.

Mr. Hall

Has my right hon. Friend's attention been drawn to the letter from the president-elect of the National Union of Students, which appeared in the Daily Telegraph, in which he pointed out that basically the present system amounts to a second system of taxation on the parents of those children selected for university? Will my right hon. Friend bear that in mind when considering the total abolition of the means test?

Sir D. Eccles

I think that the revision will go a good way to help such students.

Dr. King

Will the right hon. Gentleman also bear in mind that one of the most important reasons is what I regard as a moral reason, namely, that young undergraduates who have won their way to college are earning their living as much as other young people and that they have a right to be considered as adults and resent being kept financially dependent on their parents when they reach young manhood and womanhood?

Sir D. Eccles

Yes; I have that consideration in mind.