§ 26. Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated cost of the introduction of student loans.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe estimated total costs for introducing the top-up loans scheme were given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science in his statement to the House on 19 June. The Northern Ireland component of these costs will be related to the Northern Ireland share of total costs which are still being discussed.
§ 35. Mr. MartlewTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what annual level of inflation has been used to calculate the projected cost of the student loan scheme.
§ Dr. MawhinneyIn Northern Ireland the top-up loan scheme for students will operate on a parity basis with the rest of the United Kingdom. Details of the costs are outlined in annex E of the White Paper (Cm. 520) where the level of inflation is assumed to increase by 3.5 per cent. in 1990–91 and thereafter to run at 3 per cent. annually.