§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if, in view of the qualifications required, he will now urgently consider granting mandatory grants to chiropody students in place of the discretionary grant; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will estimate how many more students would enrol to study chiropody if the grant system were improved; and if he will estimate how many potential chiropody students have been lost to the National Health Service during the past five years because of the inadequacy of the grant system.
§ Dr. BoysonStudents of chiropody are eligible to be considered for awards made at the discretion of local education authorities. My right hon. and learned Friend is not aware of any recent application for designation of chiropody courses 807W for mandatory awards; such an application would be considered against established criteria for designation. It is not possible to say how many more students might enrol to study chiropody if the grant system were improved, nor is my right hon. and learned Friend in a position to estimate how many potential students may in the past have been deterred by the existing arrangements.