§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about take-up of education maintenance allowances in Stoke-on-Trent. [155909]
§ Mr. WicksI am pleased to say that the take-up rate of Education Maintenance Allowance in Stoke-on-Trent is high. There are currently 2,267 young people in receipt of an allowance. Recent published evaluation reports show that EMAs are making a positive difference to young people's lives. On average in the pilot areas there is an increase of five percentage points in the number of eligible 16 and 17-year-olds staying in education in the pilot areas because of EMA.