HC Deb 09 March 1978 vol 945 cc772-4W
Mrs. Bain

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time students were resident in university or college halls of residence or flats in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Mr. McElhone

Information in precisely the form requested is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. The following table gives the information requested for three groups of institutions for the years 1972–73 and 1976–77:

1972–73 1976–77
Universities 10,125 12,860
Central Institutions 1,445 2,200
Colleges of Education 2,319 2,365
13,889 17,425

Corresponding figures for further education colleges under local authority management are not held centrally. University figures are published annually in Statistics of Education, Volume 6.

Mrs. Bain

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time students received Scottish Education Department grants based on the parental means-test lived away from home in each of the last five years.

Mr. McElhone

It is not possible to provide the precise information requested. Students living in a university hall of residence, residential college or recognised university or college hostel, or who satisfy my Department that there are adequate reasons for their not living at home, receive the higher rate of standard maintenance allowance. The available information about such students is set out below:

SESSION AND NUMBER OF STUDENTS, SUBJECT TO A PARENTAL CONTRIBUTION, WHO LIVED AWAY FROM HOME AND RECEIVED THE HIGHER RATE OF STANDARD MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE:
1975–76 25,811
1976–77 25,239
1977–78 (to date) 25,122

In addition, some students receiving the home rates of standard maintenance allowance may have decided to live away from home, but the number is not known. Information for years prior to 1975–76 could not be provided without disproportionate cost.