HC Deb 29 January 1970 vol 794 cc385-6W
Mr. Dalyell

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what consideration he is giving to the recommendation of the Report of the Working Party appointed by the Royal Society and the Council of Engineering Institutions and the Council of Science and Technology Institutes, of which he has received a copy, that teacher training courses for graduates should be put on the same basis as other post-graduate courses in respect of maintenance grants;

(2) whether he is satisfied with a situation whereby graduates who elect to be trained as teachers should be kept on undergraduate grants, including parental contributions, while those who take other post-graduate training get post-graduate maintenance grants, with no parental contributions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Fowler

The grant arrangements for graduates training as teachers apply to graduates training for a number of other professions. I could not consider implementing the Working Party's recommendation without taking into account many other deserving claims on the funds available for student support.