§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what safeguards she has considered including in the proposed mandatory grant scheme for young adults in higher education to ensure that the education being undertaken is worth the expense incurred by the public;
(2) if her proposal for mandatory grants to young people between the ages of 16 and 18 years who stay on in full-time education has as its primary purpose improving the quality of the education received by British youth; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThe primary objective of any new scheme of financial support for 16 to 18 year olds in full-time education which may result from my current discussions with the local authorities would be to secure an increase in participation by this age group in relevant full-time education. The local authorities and I are confident that the education service is able to provide 759W courses that are useful both to the individual student and to society as a whole. The quality, nature and scope of education provision for this age group is a continuing concern of all those engaged in the education service.