§ 4. Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what reassessment of the student grant system is being made in the light of other Government schemes for tax-free payments to young workers involved in approved training, work experience and similar projects.
§ Mr. OakesMy right hon. Friend has now begun her discussions with local authorities about improved financial support arrangements for the 16–18 age group. Those will need to cover many aspects, including the availability of training allowances for young people.
§ Mr. HooleyIn view of the far-reaching plans by the Manpower Services Commission, involving the payment of tax-free weekly sums to young people, is it not time that urgent consideration was given by my hon. Friend's Department to the position of boys and girls in schools, or undergoing further education, so that decisions about their future should be taken in the interests of the children on the advice of the parents and not simply on financial grounds?
§ Mr. OakesMy right hon. Friend has already had two meetings with local authorities to discuss this and other matters. There is another meeting to come. I would stress to my hon. Friend and to the House that the MSC courses, where money is being paid to young people in this age group, are for comparatively very short periods of time compared with someone staying in full-time education.
§ Dr. HampsonIs the Minister aware of the evaluation study of the MSC which shows that there is such poor quality in terms of literacy and the capacity to handle figures at a functional level that the MSC is calling for a tripling of the preparatory courses in literacy and numeracy? What does he think this shows about standards in some of the schools with regard to these basic things which are so crucial for people getting jobs?
§ Mr. OakesWhere youngsters have difficulty with reading or numbers, I am very delighted that the present MSC 193 scheme has far more educational topping-up provision than did the previous schemes.