§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will specify the powers under which he proposes to authorise expenditure on access funds in relation to the student loans scheme.
§ Mr. MacGregorPayments of the access funds to the funding councils will be made under the powers available in sections 131(4) and 132(4) of the Education Reform Act 1988. Payments of the access funds to local education authority colleges of further education and to institutions directly grant-aided by the Department will be made under new regulations, to be laid before the House this week, made under the powers in section 100(1)(b) and (3) of the Education Act 1944. The regulations will enable the Secretary of State to make payments of the access funds to such institutions; they will not prescribe how the funds should be disbursed by these institutions to their students.