§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what deadline has been imposed for expenditure from access funds for institutions of higher and further education; and what evaluation he has made of the consequences for students of the deadline.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthAny access funds grant not paid to students by the end of the academic year for which it was allocated must be returned by institutions. In the light of representations received, my right hon. and learned Friend has withdrawn an earlier condition requiring higher education institutions to return any grant held by them on 31 March in excess of 15 per cent. of their total allocation for the financial year.
§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the proportion of each institution's access fund which has been spent to date.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe limited information available suggests that the pattern is mixed. All institutions have been asked to provide an account of their expenditure of access funds at the end of the academic year.