§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Education if he intends to increase mandatory student grants to take account of the additional expenditure on gas and electricity bills due to the imposition of value added tax on domestic fuel.
§ Mr. BoswellIt is my right hon. Friend's policy to review annually the overall level of mandatory support available to students through the basic grant and loan, in the light of forecast cost movements. Any increase is applied only to the loans element and to the supplementary allowances within the award, leaving the basic grant fixed at its present cash level. The rates for the 1993–94 academic year will be announced in due course.