HC Deb 16 January 1995 vol 252 cc340-1W
Mr. Parry

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if she will make a statement on the Student Loans Co.;

(2) what recent representations she has made to the Student Loans Co. for the improvement of waiting times for student appointments and communication within the service; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Boswell

My right hon. Friend annually sets performance targets for the Student Loans Co., including the payment of loans to students. The company has apologised for its recent failure to maintain its usual high standards. It is conducting a thorough review into recent delays in the payment of loans following the introduction of a simplified repeat application procedure, and the steps necessary to prevent a recurrence. As part of that review, the company will consult widely and the results will be reported to my right hon. Friend.

Mr. Parry

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many students in the United Kingdom have applied for loans during the last 12 months; and what was the figure in 1992;

(2) how many people are currently employed by the Student Loans Co.

Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is her estimate of the number of students in(a) Wales and (b) England who are awaiting money due from the Student Loans Co. for the start of the current academic year.

Mr. Boswell

These are matters for the Students Loans Co. I have asked the acting chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations she has had concerning late payments to students by the Student Loans Co.; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Boswell

My right hon. Friend has received about 40 representations on delays in the processing of loans. The Department has also received a number of telephone calls from both students and higher education institutions.