§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total or estimated total cost to parents of assessed contributions to mandatory student grants for each year since 1979–80 in (a) cash terms and (b) 1985–86 prices; and if he will provide forecasts for future years.
§ Mr. WaldenThe information is as follows:
110W
Mandatory Awards (England and Wales) Assessed Parental Contributions (£ million) Academic Year Cash 1985–86 Actual 1979–80 84 135 1980–81 98 136 1981–82 127 158 1982–83 155 181 1983–84 171 190
Academic Year Cash 1985–86 Estimated 1984–85 215 228 Forecast 1985–86 252 252 1986–87 267 257 Note: Repricing is based on the RPI as at September of each academic year. The RPI annual increase to September 1986 is assumed to be 4 per cent.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number of students on discretionary awards or local authority bursaries as well as the numbers of students who receive no award who will not receive the £36 compensation as a result of the proposed changes in student entitlement to welfare benefits.
§ Mr. WaldenStudents studying from home will be largely unaffected by the proposed changes in entitlement to welfare benefits, so it is proposed to limit compensation through the student grant to award holders living away from home. The amount of compensation to be paid to mandatory award holders has yet to be finally decided. There are approximately 70,000 award holders from England and Wales in higher education who live at home, and will therefore receive no compensation. In the case of students on discretionary awards and bursaries, it will be for the award-making bodies to decide what compensation should be paid. There are also some 90,000 students who could be affected by the proposals and who study without any award, but it is not known how many of them study away from home.