HC Deb 10 February 1955 vol 536 cc248-9W
Captain Kerby

asked the Minister of Education the total value and number of Forces Educational Training Service grants awarded, to the present time, to ex-Service men and women to enable them to take university courses; and what proportions of these totals have been distributed to persons who, later, discontinued their courses of study or failed to obtain the qualification for which they were working.

Sir D. Eccles

55,045 awards had been made by my Department under the Further Education and Training Scheme before 31st January this year for courses at universities or university colleges. I cannot readily give information about failures by holders of this particular class of award or as to the cost of this part of the scheme; but of the 86,403 holders of all types of awards made under this scheme 15,805 either failed to complete the course or did not acquire the qualification for which they were aiming. The total cost of all these awards made before the 31st March, 1954, was about £60 million.