§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students will be worse off under the new travel grant arrangements; and how many will be better off.
§ Mr. BrookeIn 1981–82,57 per cent. of award-holders made no claim for excess travel, and under the new arrangemens all such students, together with those claiming between £50 and the amounts now proposed for travel within the grant, will be better off. It will be up to students starting their course in 1984–85 to decide how best to use the total resources available to them. As far as those already on courses are concerned, some will undoubtedly be worse off if they cannot adjust their travel
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§ Mr. BrookeThe information is as follows:
requirements, although we have taken steps to alleviate the effects of the introduction of the new arrangements on those with the highest costs.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much the Government expect to save as a result of the new travel grant regulations for students, in grant paid out, in administrative costs and in total.
§ Mr. BrookeThe planned level of expenditure on student travel under the new arrangements in the academic year 1984–85 is about £39 million, which is some £7 million less than the estimated expenditure if the present open-ended arrangements had continued. The administrative costs to LEAs of the present arrangements cannot readily be quantified, but it is an inherently 135W expensive business to scriutinise individual claims and make individual assessments and payments to very large numbers of students — over 170,000 claimants in 1981–82—and we would expect authorities to be able to make worthwhile savings.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received in favour of the new travel grant arrangements for students, during the consultation period.
§ Mr. BrookeAll of those consulted by the Department expressed understanding of the Government's desire to achieve greater simplicity in the administration of students' travel expenses, although all also had, in varying degree, reservations about possible effects of the proposed new arrangements.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current cost to public funds of the administration of the reimbursement of travel costs to students in receipt of mandatory awards; what is his estimate of the administrative costs of the arrangements which he now proposes; and what is the basis for the latter estimate.
§ Mr. BrookeThe administrative costs to LEAs of the present arrangements cannot readily be quantified, but it is an inherently expensive business to scrutinise individual claims and make individual assessments and payments to very large numbers of students—over 170,000 claimants in 1981–82. The number of claims will be very much reduced under the new arrangements and we would expect them to enable local authorities to make worthwhile savings.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how long the notional component of the basic mandatory award which represents travel costs has been fixed at £50.
§ Mr. BrookeSince the academic year 1981–82.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate his Department has made of the financial impact upon students in London, in receipt of mandatory awards, of the proposed new arrangements for meeting travel costs.
§ Mr. BrookeIt is not possible to estimate the effect of the new arrangements on the grant payable to students studying in particular areas like London. That will depend upon the particular circumstances of individual students, which may themselves change in some respects in response to the new arrangements, but I am aware from the representations I have received of the difficulties which the new arrangements may cause for some students attending particular institutions including in London.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the total amounts paid in respect of travel costs to students in receipt of mandatory awards in 1982–83; what estimate he has made of the amount paid to such students during 1983–84; and what estimate he has made of the amounts to be paid to such students in 1984–85 under the new arrangements proposed by his Department.
§ Mr. BrookeThe arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend will entail expenditure of about £39 million136W in the academic year 1984–85. Estimated expenditure on student travel in 1982–83 and 1983–84 was £41 million and £42 million respectively.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the National Union of Students was given only two weeks to comment on the proposed changes in travel grant arrangements set out in Mr. H. W. B. Davies's letter of 31 January to the union's president.
§ Mr. BrookeThe National Union of Students was asked to respond quickly because, as the Department's letter explained, the Government were anxious to make an early announcement of the new arrangements so as to give both students and local education authorities the maximum advance notice of the change.