§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the numbers of law students embarking on the final year legal practice course in order to qualify for the profession of solicitors; how many he estimates were unable to obtain discretionary grant funding; and what assessment he has made of the effect that the availability of discretionary grant has had on the number of people entering the legal profession.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe award of discretionary grants is a matter for individual local authorities, and policy on postgraduate grant funding is a matter for the Secretary of State for Education. The Lord Chancellor's Department has therefore made no assessment of the numbers of law students embarking on the legal practice course, of those unable to obtain discretionary funding, or of the effect this may have had on numbers of entrants to the legal profession. However, I understand from the Law Society that numbers embarking on the course have risen steadily in recent years. There will be about 6,500 students commencing the 1994–95 course, compared with about 6,000 for 1993–94.