§ 25. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will take steps to ensure that educational maintenance awards for pupils from 16 to 19 years of age are as available in 1977–78 as they were in 1976–77; and what degree of inflation proofing has been provided to cover such awards in the rate support grant.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsI regard it as important that the availability of these awards should at least be maintained, but discretion rests entirely with the local education authorities. As regards rate 153W support grant provision, the settlement for 1977–78 was agreed at the price levels prevailing in November 1976 and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has power to increase, by order, the amount of grant in respect of increases in the level of prices.
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will give the results of the most recent information on pupil maintenance
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Local Education Authority Numbers of pupils in receipt of EMA's Proportion of EMA holders to all pupils over school leaving age Per cent Average annual value of EMA £ Avon … … … 117 2.5 147 Bedfordshire … … … 50 2.5 134 Berkshire … … … 10 0.2 85 Buckinghamshire … … … 17 0.5 122 Cambridgeshire … … … 34 1.5 108 Cheshire … … … 55 1.3 98 Cleveland … … … 63 1.8 84 Cornwall … … … 67 4.9 51 Cumbria … … … 41 1.4 124 Derbyshire … … … 160 3.9 172 Devon … … … 58 1.7 78 Dorset … … … 67 2.7 119 Durham … … … 76 2.8 130 East Sussex … … … 73 2.5 111 Essex … … … 81 0.9 104 Gloucestershire … … … 40 1.4 105 Hampshire … … … 247 3.2 204 Hereford and Worcester … … … 23 0.9 61 Hertfordshire … … … 151 1.9 140 Humberside … … … 216 5.5 110 Isle of Wight … … … 8 1.4 31 Kent … … … 149 1.8 104 Lancashire … … … 198 3.0 149 Leicestershire … … … 67 1.5 89 Lincolnshire … … … 27 1.1 69 Norfolk … … … 48 2.3 70 North Yorkshire … … … 89 2.2 146 Northamptonshire … … … 25 1.2 131 Northumberland … … … 33 2.0 110 Nottinghamshire … … … 56 1.3 169 Oxfordshire … … … 44 2.1 118 Salop … … … 2 0.1 48 Somerset … … … 27 1.8 129 Staffordshire … … … 22 0.2 39 Suffolk … … … 15 0.7 57 Surrey … … … 45 0.6 122 Warwickshire … … … 21 0.8 69 West Sussex … … … 37 0.9 78 Wiltshire … … … 30 1.0 94 Birmingham … … … 350 5.0 102 Coventry … … … 28 1.7 101 Dudley … … … 1 1.07 75 Sandwell … … … 18 1.4 48 Solihull … … … 8 0.9 73 Walsall … … … 43 2.5 197 Wolverhampton … … … 28 1.8 82 Knowsley … … … 76 9.6 102 Liverpool … … … 271 4.2 92 St. Helens … … … 22 3.9 89 Sefton … … … 44 2.5 177 Wirral … … … 64 3.3 99 Bolton … … … 69 7.4 105 Bury … … … 19 3.2 103 grants showing for each local education authority the number of pupils for whom maintenance grants were paid, the proportion these represented of all pupils over statutory school leaving age and the average grant paid, respectively.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe most recent information available in this form is based on the results of an ad hoc survey carried out in the autumn term 1974. The details are as follows:
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Local Education Authority Numbers of pupils in receipt of EMA's Proportion of EMA holders to all pupils over school leaving age Per cent. Average annual value of EMA £ Manchester … 182 6.8 118 Oldham … 13 2.2 102 Rochdale … 35 3.8 98 Salford … 72 7.7 106 Stockport … 37 2.2 94 Tameside … 21 2.9 106 Trafford … 44 4.4 107 Wigan … 52 3.1 93 Barnsley … 21 2.6 123 Doncaster … 44 2.5 131 Rotherham … 47 3.7 112 Sheffield … 89 3.4 136 Bradford … 109 5.0 133 Calderdale … 49 4.5 128 Kirklees … 47 2.2 153 Leeds … 130 3.6 122 Wakefield … 64 5.0 128 Gateshead … 39 5.2 96 Newcastle upon Tyne … 72 4.7 99 North Tyneside … 51 4.8 128 South Tyneside … 50 6.5 144 Sunderland … 69 4.5 135 Barking … 11 2.0 99 Barnet … 36 1.3 82 Bexley … 29 1.9 120 Brent … 52 2.2 170 Bromley … 18 0.8 80 Croydon … 23 1.3 144 Ealing … 126 2.2 163 Enfield … 15 0.8 92 Haringey … 55 3.9 141 Harrow … 16 0.9 119 Havering … 7 0.4 92 Hillingdon … 16 1.4 140 Hounslow … 8 0.6 114 Kingston-upon-Thames … 9 0.9 88 Merton … 23 1.7 180 Newham … 19 1.9 93 Redbridge … 16 1.5 119 Richmond-upon-Thames … 27 1.3 138 Sutton … 10 0.8 121 Waltham Forest … 15 1.0 98 Inner London Education Authority … 868 5.3 160 Clwyd … 8 0.4 123 Dyfed … 92 4.4 77 Gwent … 98 3.2 103 Gwynedd … 18 1.1 39 Mid-Glamorgan … 181 4.8 122 Powys … 8 1.1 125 South Glamorgan … 61 2.3 103 West Glamorgan … 48 2.2 124