§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to reduce the level of the student grant to help pay for the scheme to recruit young lecturers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIn the autumn of 1983 the main rates of grant will be increased by 4 per cent. and the parental170W contribution scale will be adjusted upwards by 8 per cent., as announced by my right hon. Friend on 8 November 1982.—[Vol. 31, c. 42.] Paragraph 15 of volume I of "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1983–84 to 1985–86" (Cmnd. 8789) says that the extra resources provided for a special programme for the recruitment of young researchers in the universities will be partly offset by a reduction in the previously planned value of the student grant. This refers to the fact that when the Government's plans for expenditure in 1983–84 were first converted into cash an average factor of 6 per cent. for the increase over 1982–83 was used for all public expenditure costs. The decision to increase the student award by 4 per cent. will therefore technically produce savings as compared to the previous plans.