§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the number of inquiries received from firms interested in opening a factory in Wales during 1976 and 1977, respectively, analysing the inquiries into companies based in Wales, the remainder of the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and the rest of the world.
§ Mr. Alec JonesThe following is the information requested:
holders and Commonwealth citizens continue to be expected to fulfil the three-year residence requirement or whether there will be provisions to allocate statutory awards to them irrespective of residence;
(2) whether EEC nationals will be excluded from mandatory student awards as a result of her recent circular advising local education authorities on the interpretation of ordinary residence for the purpose of awards.
§ Mr. OakesI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Mr. Mikardo) on 7th March.—[Vol. 945, c. 576–7.]
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why she has issued a circular to introduce a discretionary element into an otherwise statutory system of student awards, whereby local education authorities are advised on 741W the interpretation of ordinary residence for the purpose of awards, especially to overseas students.
§ Mr. OakesI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Department's circular letter of 27th January. This does not introduce a discretionary element into the system; it is intended to help authorities to establish the facts.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will issue instructions to local education authorities such as Essex and Hounslow not to exclude overseas students from mandatory awards on the grounds that there are restrictions on their residence in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement on the reasons for her answer.
§ Mr. OakesNo. It is for the local education authority to decide whether an application for an award satisfies the conditions in the regulations, in the light of all the information available about the individual applicant.
I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a circular letter issued by my Department, which is intended to help local education authorities in their application of the regulations concerning ordinary residence.