HC Deb 28 March 1961 vol 637 cc115-6W
Sir J. Duncan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now make a further statement about the system of grants from public funds to students taking courses at universities, colleges of education and other education establishments.

Mr. J. S. Maclay

Yes. After considering the alternative systems of administration set out in the Report of the Anderson Committee, I have decided, with the agreement of the local authority associations that, from next October awards will be made by the Scottish Education Department to full-time university students, students training as teachers and students taking advanced full-time or sandwich courses at other establishments. Although the education authorities will no longer make the awards, they have agreed to continue to play an important part. Their local offices will assist the Department by interviewing students and by making local inquiries in any cases where questions of special difficulty arise over awards, and they will still be responsible for advising the young people in their area about the facilities available for higher education.

The education authorities will continue to award bursaries to further education students apart from those which I have specified and to school pupils.

I have decided that, in accordance with the principles recommended by the Anderson Committee, there should be standard maintenance allowances for the students to whom my Department will make awards and that the rate allowed should be the one fixed for the university or college which the student actually attends. As I announced on 19th December, the rates of these allowances have been fixed on an interim basis, to give some improvement over present amounts, and it is intended to undertake a comprehensive review of the rates during the coming year. The radically revised scale of parental contribution which has already been announced will apply to those awards from October, 1961.

A leaflet giving details of the new arrangements will be available later this week in universities, colleges, schools and education authority offices. Copies of the leaflet have been placed in the Library.