§ Dr. Boysonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what special provision is made by his Depart- 290W ment to cover the fees and maintenance grants of Ugandan Asian refugees who have obtained entry to higher education but have not fulfilled the three-year residence qualification enforced on all applicants for such assistance.
§ Mr. Prentice:After their expulsion in 1972, my Department invited local education authorities to use their discretionary powers to make awards to Ugandan Asian students and to treat them on the same basis as those who satisfied the three-year residence qualification. For the academic year 1972–73, to avoid placing an unexpected burden on local authorities, arrangements were made for the Uganda Resettlement Board to reimburse authorities with the cost of maintenance and tuition fees of such students holding British passports. Subsequently, discretionary awards to Ugandan Asian students were treated for rate support grant purposes in the same way as awards to other United Kingdom students.