§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the following are eligible for mandatory grant awards for courses to which such grants apply: (a) dependants of European Economic Community nationals 425W when (i) the parents have lived in the United Kingdom for the previous three years or (ii) the prospective student has lived in the United Kingdom for the previous three years, and (b) dependants of Commonwealth immigrants when (i) the parents have lived in the United Kingdom for the previous three years or (ii) the prospective student has lived in the United Kingdom for the previous three years.
§ Mr. OakesA student is eligible for a mandatory award if he has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for at least three years before the first year of his course, and satisfies the other conditions laid down in the awards regulations. Whether an applicant satisfies these conditions is a matter for the
(Thousands) Academic years: 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 (estimated) 1. Mandatory awards (including teacher training)* 308.5 308.6 322.1 323.0 2. Discretionary awards 65.5 68.3 55.7 55.0 (of which these numbers were for courses qualifying for mandatory awards from 1975–76) 13.5 12.4 — — * Including 5.1 thousand awards in 1973–74 and 4.9 thousand in 1974–75 made by the Department of Education and Science for teacher training courses in universities, responsibility for which was transferred to the local authorities in 1975–76.
§ Mr. Jesselasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportions of mandatory and discretionary grants have been financed by the Department of Education and Science and by the local education authorities, respectively, in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. OakesMandatory awards to students are paid by local education authorities, but since 1974–75 my Department has met 90 per cent. of the cost by specific grant. Expenditure by local education authorities on discretionary awards, as on mandatory awards before 1974–75, is treated as expenditure relevant for rate support grant. Rate support grant is a block grant, given in aid of local authority expenditure as a whole; it is not therefore possible to identify a specific contribution from central Government funds to the cost of discretionary awards and hence the proportion of such expenditure met by them.
§ Mr. Jesselasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the principal types of higher education
426Wlocal education authority to determine in the light of all the facts.
§ Mr. Jesselasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many mandatory and how many discretionary grants have been awarded for higher education in the current year and for each of the preceding four years.
§ Mr. OakesThe following figures relate to awards current in each year and made by local education authorities in England and Wales. They cover all mandatory awards and discretionary awards—including some for non-advanced courses—where the maximum rate of grant was designed to cover the full cost of fees and maintenance. Information for 1977–78 is not yet available.
courses in respect of which grants are (a) mandatory and (b) discretionary.
§ Mr. OakesMandatory awards are available for full-time and sandwich courses leading to a first degree, Diploma of Higher Education, Higher National Diploma, or the higher diplomas of the Technician or Business Education Council; and for designated courses of initial teacher training.
Local education authorities may make awards, at their discretion, to students on the above courses who do not qualify for mandatory awards and for all other courses of higher education except those postgraduate courses for which my Department, other Departments and the research councils make awards.
§ Mr. Stan Crowtherasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has any plans to extend the range of courses which are subject to mandatory, as distinct from discretionary, local authority grants.
§ Mr. OakesMy right hon. Friend keeps under review the range of courses covered 427W by mandatory awards, but has no immediate plans for a major extension of such courses.