HC Deb 04 July 1986 vol 100 cc651-2W
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the estimated cost of providing an educational maintenance allowance of £27 at 1985–86 prices for all pupils remaining in schools or colleges for one year after the school leaving age, for one week, 38 weeks, 40 weeks, 46 weeks and 52 weeks, after deducting child benefit and existing educational maintenance allowances; and if he will give projections on the same basis for each of the next three years.

Mr. Dunn

The estimated cost, based on provisional 1985–86 pupil and student numbers and projected numbers for the following three years, would be as follows:

£ million
Weeks
1 38 40 46 52
1985–86 6 230 243 283 322
1986–87 6 222 235 273 312
1987–88 6 229 242 281 320
1988–89 6 219 231 269 307

Note: These costs are based on the proposed allowance of £27 per week, less child benefit at the current rate of £7 per week, and assume no change in the estimated 1984–85 level of local authority spending on maintenance grants, which has been converted to 1985–86 prices for the purpose of the current calculations.