§ Mr. SUGDENasked the President of the Board of Education what steps he proposes to take to remedy and redress the evils of delay in his Department in reference to grants to those ex-officers and other military students who, already having reported to the principal of the Manchester University that their poverty did not allow them to meet the expenses of the next term, were informed they would have to leave at once, and accordingly did so the same day; and if he is aware that for three months these students have paid their own expenses?
§ Mr. FISHERThe delay in this matter, which I greatly regret, is due partly to the very large number of applications— over 10,000 in all—which has reached the Board, many of them quite recently, and partly to the great difficulty in obtaining sufficient office staff and accommodation to deal with this and other branches of the Board's work. I have lately been able to increase the staff and am still increasing it. Ninety-seven grants to students at Manchester University and College of Technology have already been announced. All grants when made are retrospective, so that students who have been living on their own resources will be reimbursed. The hon. Member may reply upon me to do my utmost to accelerate the award and payment of grants.