HC Deb 05 February 1975 vol 885 cc525-6W
Mr. Kenneth Clarke

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the estimated cost of abolition of the parental means test for students' grants if the child allowance for income tax were ended for children in full-time higher education at the same time.

Mr. Prentice

The net cost of abolishing the parental contribution, if the child income tax allowance were at the same time withdrawn for students in full-time education, is estimated to be in the region of £10 million to £20 million for Great Britain in the current year, depending on the basis on which the allowance was withdrawn. An estimate for students in higher education alone is not readily available.