HC Deb 03 May 1994 vol 242 cc574-5
2. Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received regarding the treatment of the over-50s by the student maintenance funding system.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Further and Higher Education (Mr. Tim Boswell)

My right hon. Friend has received a very small number of representations on this subject.

Mr. Ainsworth

Is the Minister aware that there are 5,400 students in further education over the age of 50 who are not entitled to loans, so cannot make up the 10 per cent. cuts in grant imposed since they started their courses? The cost involved would be a mere £2 million. Will the Minister allow grants for those 5,400 people so that they can carry on under the financial regime that they expected when they undertook their courses?

Mr. Boswell

I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman, who has written to me on the subject. No such measure was proposed or carried into effect when we made the shift from grants to include a provision of loans in 1990. If we had £2 million to spare, that might not be the best use of public funds. I refer those students in difficulties to the access funds for their universities and institutions that are designed precisely to meet such hardship.

Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman

I am sure that my hon. Friend will be most interested to know of one of my constituents who was made unemployed and who decided, with his wife, that he could manage to see himself through university—

Madam Speaker

Order. Please ask a question.

Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman

I am asking my hon. Friend whether he is be pleased to know.

Madam Speaker

I am sure that the Minister is delighted to know, but he should now hear a direct question that needs to be answered.

Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman

Is my hon. Friend the Minister aware that my constituent managed to get £800 from the access fund and has been able to continue with his studies? He is delighted with the treatment that he has received.

Mr. Boswell

I am delighted to hear that from my hon. Friend. It is an example of what can and has been done. We now have more mature students in higher education than ever before. The rate has been increasing faster than for more traditional students. We welcome that—we want it to continue.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

Is the Minister aware that one of the biggest disincentives to mature students is the collapse of discretionary grants? Can he now tell the House clearly what action he intends to take against authorities, such as Conservative-controlled Trafford, that have abolished discretionary grants?

Mr. Boswell

It is interesting that the hon. Gentleman has managed to mix up discretionary awards and discretionary grants and to bring what is primarily but not exclusively a further education consideration into a question about higher education and mandatory awards. We have studied, and we are continuing to study, the recent report of the Gulbenkian Foundation. It is interesting that the hon. Gentleman blames Trafford. Perhaps he would also consider those Labour-controlled authorities that have withdrawn the discretionary grants as well. We shall look at the overall position. When we have reached our conclusions, we shall tell the House about them.