§ 14. Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations she has received on the current level of discretionary grants paid by education authorities to students in colleges of further education. [29121]
§ Mr. BoswellMy right hon. Friend has received representations on this subject from a variety of individuals and organisations.
§ Mr. JonesDoes the Minister accept that, to a large extent, many further education colleges depend on their students receiving discretionary awards? In recent years, many of those colleges have seen the number of students attracting discretionary awards reduce quite substantially. Will he make it absolutely clear to local authorities, through extra funding if necessary, that they have a responsibility both to ensure that students receive discretionary awards and to maintain our structure of further education colleges?
§ Mr. BoswellWhat I will do is to make it clear to colleges, whether in Wales or in England, that they receive substantial amounts of public funding to discharge their duties and that one of those is to secure the appropriate provision of further education. How they interpret that duty must remain a matter for them.
§ Mr. Jacques ArnoldIs my hon. Friend aware that discretionary grants are no longer available to children in Kent because of the totally vindictive action of the Lib-Lab controlling group on Kent county council? That is already affecting youngsters who are talented in dance and music and in other subjects. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is time that something was done about that?
§ Mr. BoswellI am all too sadly aware of that local situation.