§ Mr. Lewisasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education (1) whether he has considered the letter from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, on the question of educational grants; and whether he will make a statement;
(2) if he is aware of the concern felt by educationalists and parents at the inadequacy of the grants made by his Department, on a means test basis, to keep sixth form children at school; when this maximum grant of£60 in the second and subsequent years in the sixth form was introduced at its present level; and whether, as this is payable to a parent only if his gross income is below£200 per annum with one child or to£350 per annum with four children, he will alter these scales to bring them more into line with the present-day value of the£sterling.
§ Sir E. BoyleThese grants are not made by my Department but by local education authorities in accordance with scales submitted to the Minister. Those quoted by the hon. Member were72W approved for the West Ham Authority in 1954. My noble Friend has recently received the report of a Working Party on this matter and hopes soon to make a general statement. I shall reply shortly to the hon. Member's letter.