Captain COOTEasked the President of the Board of Education what amount was set aside to provide for Grants in aid of ex-members of His Majesty's Forces desirous of taking university degrees; how much has been expended and in how many cases; and whether he will consider the possibility of extending such Grants to ex-members of auxiliary forces such as Marconi operators, etc.?
§ Mr. FISHERThe amount set aside to provide Grants for ex-Service students pursuing full-time courses of higher education at universities and other institutions for higher education is £6,000,000. The awards already made commit the Board to an expenditure of about £4,500,000 for about 15,000 approved applicants, and from the present; rate of applications it appears probable that the remaining £1,500,000 will be fully absorbed without any extension of the scheme.
§ Major ENTWISTLEasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that Arthur Windass, of 8, Perry Street, Hull, who served in the Mercantile Marine throughout the War and was incapacitated and rendered 71W unable to follow his former employment through his ship being mined, has applied for a grant to enable him to study and fit himself for another vocation and has been refused; and whether the privileges of educational grants will be extended to men who served in the Mercantile Marine and were wounded or incapacitated by enemy action?
§ Mr. FISHERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part of the question, I cannot commit the Government to extend the scope of the scheme for assisting the higher education of ex-Service students, which is limited to those who have served during the War in units of the Army, Navy, or Air Force, paid out of funds provided by Parliament.