§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his assessment of the effect of the introduction of tuition fees and the abolition of the maintenance grant on the numbers of mature disabled students entering further and higher education; and if he will make a statement. [59644]
§ Mr. Mudie[holding answer 16 November 1998]: Numbers of disabled applicants to higher education have held up well. The overall number of disabled applicants to higher education in universities and colleges this year has fallen by less than 1 per cent. from 1997's very high figure and is higher than the figure for 1996. The number of mature disabled applicants in 1998 has fallen by around 5 per cent. compared with 1997, which saw a late surge in applicants. This is relatively smaller than the fall in the corresponding number of mature applicants as a whole, which is attributable largely to demographic reasons and to 641W the increase in the number of potential applicants who already have HE qualifications. To encourage disabled students we have abolished the means test for Disabled Students' Allowances and increased the amounts available through each such Allowance.