§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many students have been awarded supplementary benefit, and at what cost in the summer, winter and spring vacations, respectively, in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. O'MalleyNo information is available for the winter and spring vacations. For one day in August 1973, 1974 and 1975 when counts were taken some 12,000, 21,000 and 64,000 students respectively, were receiving supplementary benefit. The total cost is not known, but on the day of the counts in 1974 and 1975 the average payment was £6.97 and £7.19 a week. Comparable information is not readily available for 1973.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, as a result of the changes in the student support arrangements that the Secretary of State for Education and Science announced on 23rd February 1976, how much extra supplementary benefit an individual unemployed student claimant will be entitled to claim in future summer vacations; what is the estimated cost to public funds of future payments in summer vacations; and what is the estimated saving that is expected to result from the reduction of entitlement in the winter and spring terms.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe changes in student support arrangements will apply for the 1976–77 academic year. In the 1977 summer vacation an unemployed student116W will not have an amount for vacation maintenance in the grant—at present £3.18 a week—deducted from his supplementary benefit entitlement. The additional cost of payments in the summer vacation and the savings on the winter and spring vacations will depend on the number of claims received.