§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Minister of Education if she will now hasten the fulfilment of the undertaking made under Further Education, and Training Scheme regulations, in as much as a large number of ex-Service students at London University Colleges, details of which have been submitted to her, have suffered a delay of many months in the award of the grants, and have not received a satisfactory settlement despite further representations.
§ Miss Ellen WilkinsonI would invite the attention of the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 12th December, I cannot agree that delays of many months have occurred, except in those cases where the application was made and the award announced long before the student entered upon his course of study. It has been made clear that in any case payments cannot be made until a certificate is received from the institution that the student is actually in attendance.
§ Mr. Piratinasked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the long delay in her Department in awarding further education training grants, thus causing hardship to those concerned, she will consider the payment forthwith to each accepted student of an allowance within the amount of the grant and subsequently to be taken into consideration when the actual amount of the grant has been decided.
§ Miss WilkinsonI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Mr. Sharp).