§ 3.14 p.m.
§ Lord ELTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government to state under what circumstances grants for married male students paid in respect of dependent children fall below the level regarded as necessary for their support by the Supplementary Benefits Commission and whether they regard this situation as satisfactory.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Lord Crowther-Hunt)My Lords, under the student grant arrangements which apply during the current academic year, the allowance paid for a dependent child is less than that now paid under supplementary benefit, the rates of which were increased last month. Rates of grant and allowances for students are now being reviewed, and au announcement will be made very shortly about the rates which will apply from the next academic year. I consider that the student grant arrangements, taken as a whole, are reasonably fair, and enable a student to complete his course without undue hardship to himself or his family.
§ Lord ELTONMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. May I ask him in reviewing this situation to bear in mind the fact that when recourse is had to supplementary benefit to make good the gap which, as he agrees, at present exists, this is available only in the vacation? Will he also see whether arrangements can be made for students who are in difficulties in term time?
§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNTMy Lords, I have noted what the noble Lord has said. The position is that under the supplementary benefit system at the moment a husband and wife get a weekly basic sum of £15.65 plus rent. A married student and his wife, under the main awards regulations, get the equivalent of a weekly payment of £24.29 which is intended to cover rent. A student may also be entitled to rent allowances, or rent and rates rebate from the local authority. The noble Lord was kind 838 enough to give me details—unfortunately, only a short time ago—of the particular case which he has in mind. It is true that under certain circumstances a married student with a very large number of children—particularly if they are nearer the age of 17 than 5—would be entitled to more under the supplementary benefit regulations than under the student grant regulations. But there are enormous complexities in this area. I undertake to write to the noble Lord about the case he has in mind, although I shall require slightly more information from him to be able to answer is precisely.
§ Lord ELTONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he will make himself aware of the fact—which I gave him—that the family in question is not a large one, having only three children all under the age of 13 years. But I am obliged to the noble Lord for his help in this matter and I look forward to his letter.
§ Lord DAVIES of LEEKMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that answer, but would he help to clarify the matter a little? Does this grant apply across the board to adult students, or to those who may marry when they are still taking their degree course, or does it apply to both?
§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNTMy Lords, it does not apply to students who marry during their course. In those circumstances there are some special hardship arrangements for students who marry during the course. So far as older students are concerned, there are additional allowances for them. But a condition of all these allowances is that the people concerned must be taking degree level courses, or courses at comparable level.