§ Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the statistics for the assisted places scheme in the 1986–87 school session in Scotland, and the income scale which will apply to the scheme in school session 1987–88.
§ Mr. John MacKayAt the beginning of the current school session there were 2,574 pupils receiving assistance under the assisted places scheme. Additional pupils will be admitted to assisted places throughout the 1986–87 school session.
Of the 2,574 pupils now in the scheme, 1,198 (46.5 per cent.) attended a fee-paying school prior to taking up an assisted place. The corresponding proportion for the new intake of pupils joining the scheme at the beginning of the current session was 38 per cent.
The scheme continues to concentrate assistance on lower income families. In 1986–87, 1,275 pupils (49.5 per cent. of those in the scheme) will be receiving full fee remission because they have a family income of £6,806 per annum or less. A further 253 pupils (10 per cent.) have family incomes between £6,807 and £8,000 per annum and 109 (4 per cent.) between £8,001 and £8,500.
For school session 1987–88 my right hon. and learned Friend proposes to lay regulations before the House in due course providing for progressive parental contributions for one assisted pupil in relation to family income as follows:
Part of relevant income to which the specified percentage applies Parental contribution (percentage) That part (if any) which exceeds £6,806 but does not exceed £7,400 9 That part (if any) which exceeds £7,400 but does not exceed £8,005 12 That part (if any) which exceeds £8,005 but does not exceed £9,204 15 That part (if any) which exceeds £9,204 but does not exceed £11,049 21 That part (if any) which exceeds £11,049 but does not exceed £13,458 24 That part (if any) which exceeds £13,458 33 The relevant income scale is open-ended, but the remission can, of course, be given only where the parental contribution is less than the school tuition fee.