27. Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current level of the maximum student grant; and what change there has been since 1978–79 in real terms.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe maximum basic maintenance grant is for students in London, as defined in the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1991, and stands at £2,845. This represents 82 per cent. of the comparable rate for the 1978–79 academic year—£1,315—after adjusting for retail price changes only. The maximum full-year London student loan—£660—brings the resources per student to slightly more in real terms now than in 1978–79. These comparisons take no account of changes in the composition of the mandatory award.