§ Mr. Brewisasked the Minister of Social Security why student's allowance for a girl attending a college of education in Scotland is taken into account when assessing her parent's sickness benefit, in view of the fact that this is not done in a similar case in England; and what action she will take to remove this anomaly.
§ Mr. PentlandExisting regulations require National Insurance personal benefits and dependency increases to be adjusted if the person concerned is receiving a training allowance from a Government Department. In Scotland responsibility for payment of students' maintenance grants has been transferred from the local education authorities to the Scottish Education Department and these grants have to be taken into account when considering title to national insurance benefit. In England and Wales students' maintenance grants are usually paid by the local education authority and do not affect national insurance benefit. Draft amending regulations to bring the National Insurance position in Scotland into line with that in England and Wales were submitted to the National Insurance Advisory Committee in February.