§ 71. Sir J. Vaughan-Morganasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will reduce to 23 years the age at which the marriage allowance is payable to students in respect of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research grants.
§ Mr. BoydenThe present age, 25, at which marriage allowance is payable to students was recommended by the Anderson Committee on Awards to undergraduate students and by the Ashby Sub-Committee which examined the principles applying to D.S.I.R. postgraduate awards on their firmly held view that the arrangements should not provide a financial incentive for young students to marry before or during their222W courses. However, as my right hon. Friend announced on 27th November in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds South he has recently made regulations giving discretion to Local Education Authorities to make allowances in cases of hardship, and is considering the implications of this relaxation for D.S.I.R. and other postgraduate awards.