HC Deb 05 July 1991 vol 194 cc232-3W
Mr. Mallon

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the maximum level of grant aid available to students at third level education, pursuing degree courses, and staying in lodgings;

(2) what period of time is the student grant designed to cover.

Dr. Mawhinney

The maximum maintenance grant for a student living away from home during term time is £2,265: for those living in London this rises to £2,845. These rates of grant cover the normal period of 213 days –178 days in the case of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge-during which a student is expected to be in attendance at a course, together with the Christmas and Easter vactions. Tuition fees are also paid: the current year amount is £1,675.

A student who is required to attend a course for longer than the normal period is eligible for a supplementary maintenance grant for each week or part week of the further period. For a student residing in the London area the weekly rate is £63.15: elsewhere in the United Kingdom it is £47.30.

Capital expenditure by local authorities on schools at 1989–90 prices
£ thousands
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–8 i 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
Borders 646 1,108 1,774 1,424 928 970 1,199 1,325 1,055 1,087 1,128 1,591
Central 8,208 6.550 4,606 3,741 2,004 1,474 1,422 1,753 2,863 3,198 4,651 4,992
Dumfries and Galloway 2,444 3,028 2,666 2,579 2,948 3,312 3,120 3,068 2,531 750 1,767 1,809
Fife 7,239 4,599 4,244 3,821 3,364 2,353 3,784 5,336 5,525 2,374 5,056 5,815
Grampian 16,775 13,733 14,682 18,252 12,393 8,969 7,624 10,273 9,548 2,585 3,626 3,914
Highland 6,935 4,667 4,450 4,953 4,062 2,276 1,073 1,644 1,354 2,881 3,888 3,902
Lothian 21,055 15,541 14,790 10,938 11,555 8,139 7,803 7,638 4,493 9,267 8,327 11,568
Strathclyde 54,418 34,699 32,241 36,291 27,452 27,220 26,226 25,002 20,816 22,532 26,484 26,476
Tayside 5,390 4,471 2,922 2,782 2,892 2,000 2,776 3,427 2,422 3,734 3,835 3,520
Orkney 974 311 161 931 1,750 1,238 1,646 1,508 1,099 1,119 1,092 990
Shetland 4,142 5,831 5,245 5,497 3,913 3,460 2,402 1,314 604 614 988 723
Western Isles 951 973 1,062 2,199 2,365 1,265 1,266 1,480 3,906 4,425 2,336 1,584
Scotland 129,177 95,511 88,843 93,408 75,626 62,676 60,341 63,768 56,216 54,566 63,178 66,884

Notes: The figures includes expenditure on nursery, primary, secondary and special schools.

Outturn figures have been converted to 1989–90 prices using the GDP deflator.