§ Mr. GunnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discretion a student's local authority has in paying an older student's allowance when the Secretary of State has agreed that the student is entitled to such an allowance. [5653]
§ Mr. ForthWhere a student meets the conditions set out in the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations, he is eligible for the older student's allowance. The provision of these regulations are statutory; therefore local education authorities have no discretion.
§ Mr. GunnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many students were entitled to receive the older students allowance in 1993–94 and 1994–95; and how many are currently receiving them; [5505]
(2) how many of the students currently in receipt of the older students allowance are on courses expected to conclude (a) at the end of the present academic year or earlier and (b) at a date later than September 1996. [5506]
702W
§ Mr. ForthThe number of students eligible to receive the older students allowance—OSA—in the academic year 1993–94 was 41,000. Information for later years is not yet available. Information on students currently in receipt of the OSA who are on courses expected to conclude at the end of a particular academic year is not collected centrally.