§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what has been the total cost in grants and tuition paid in respect of(a) boys and (b) girls receiving both grants and tuition in each year from 1979 to the present in respect of the Army scholarship scheme for children aged 15 and 16 years;
(2) if he will list the schools in respect of which tuition fees were paid and from whose headteachers, endorsements of candidatures were received and the numbers of (a) boys and (b) girls from each school who have received awards under the Army scholarship scheme for pupils aged 15 and 16 years in each of the years from 1979 to the present.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information is not available in the form requested. While references are obtained from headteachers, eligibility for the award of any Army scholarship does not rest on the headteacher's endorsement alone. Applicants are required to pass a test set by the Army, an interview and obtain good grades in seven GCSEs (or equivalents) including mathematics, English language and either a science or modern language. Girls have been eligible to apply for an award only since 1986.
Currently there are 91 scholars, including 10 girls. Since September 1983 a flat rate grant of £750 a year has been made to parents of scholars, irrespective of the school which the scholar attends.