Mr. Colvinasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the annual cost of introducing statutory education maintenance allowances for all those undertaking further education at £15, £20 and £25 per week, respectively.
Sir Keith JosephThe cost of such a scheme would depend on a number of factors. If the assumptions were made that the payments would not be means tested, that separate child benefit would cease to be paid, and that the number of recipients of the payments did not exceed the estimated number of 16 to I9-year olds currently following full-time courses in schools and further education colleges, the net additional cost for England would be of the order of £250 million, £400 million and £550 million respectively. Local education authorities may pay means-tested "education maintenance allowances" at their discretion under existing statutory provisions.