§ Viscount Hanworthasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which European countries provide student loans and to what extent these arrangements differ from their proposals.
§ Viscount DavidsonOutlines of other countries' student support systems are included in Annex C of the White PaperTop-up Loans for Students (Cmnd. 520). Of the eight other European countries surveyed, five provide means-tested loans at various rates of interest (Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and West Germany). There is also a small scheme in France. In Ireland and Spain means-tested grants are received by some students. Top-up loans will differ from the arrangements elsewhere in not being means-tested, in being available to a very large proportion of higher education students, in allowing repayments to be deferred when the graduate's income is low and in being provided at a real interest rate of zero.