HC Deb 24 June 1996 vol 280 c47W
Sir Wyn Roberts

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to prepare and publish a document evaluating the performance and results of the assisted places scheme in Wales. [33528]

Mr. Jonathan Evans

The assisted places scheme is kept under continuous review. Since 1981, some 1,850 pupils in Wales have benefited from an education at an independent school which their parents would not otherwise have been able to afford. Almost half of parents pay no fees, suggesting that the scheme is helping those who most need it, and the examination results of APS pupils are consistently high. From September, many more children will benefit from the doubling of available places and the inclusion of more participating schools.