§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what would be the saving if the present minimum grant for university and other students were replaced by an interest-free loan;
(2) assuming that the present minimum grant were replaced by an interest-free loan, what would be the net costs of introducing educational tax allowances based on the value of mandatory student grants, and which could be claimed by (a) parents with student children pursuing recognised courses but for which there are no mandatory awards, (b) parents with student children eligible for less than the full mandatory awards, in which case the amount of any payment in excess of the loan would be deducted from the tax allowance, and (c) parents with children past statutory school leaving age, and studying for A levels, or following recognised vocational training courses.
§ Dr. BoysonI am writing to my hon. Friend since a full answer to his questions involves a number of assumptions 233W and explanations which cannot easily be encompassed in a parliamentary reply.