§ Mr. HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the payment of the disabled students allowance by local education authorities to registered disabled students in receipt of a mandatory award who incur additional expenditure arising from their attendance on the course and because of their disability, is discretionary or mandatory; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonThe allowance is payable as part of a mandatory award but decisions on whether and at what level it should be paid in individual cases are for local education authorities. Payments of up to £730 may be made where the authority is satisfied that a disabled student is obliged, by reason of his disability, to incur additional expenditure in respect of his attendance on his course.