Student Maintenance Grant (Hansard, 24 November 1997)

§ Mr. Sheerman
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many(a) first-year, (b) second-year, (c) third-year and (d) fourth-year undergraduate students at Oxford and Cambridge universities qualified for a maintenance grant in each of the last five years; [16758]
(2) if he will list the proportion for each year of the last five years of (a) first-year, (b) second-year, (c) third-year and (d) fourth-year undergraduate students attending all United Kingdom universities who qualified for a maintenance grant. [16759]

§ Dr. Howells
Information is not collected centrally on maintenance awards by year of course nor on awards made to students at individual universities. The table below shows the percentage of mandatory award holders from England and Wales who received full, partial and nil maintenance grants in each of the last five years.

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
Employees in the UK are afforded protection under employment legislation. However, there is no specific age discrimination legislation in either the United Kingdom or the European Union.

§ Dr. Vis
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his agencies issue to(a) employers and (b) employees about age discrimination in the work place. [17041]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
My colleagues and I take every opportunity to explain to employers the benefits of a diverse workforce. The Employment Service encourages employers to recruit on merit, irrespective of age. It also encourages jobseekers to treat age as a positive asset in jobsearch and provides advice on handling objection to employment which may be due to age.

§ Dr. Vis
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what is the Government's policy on age discrimination in the work place; [17042]
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(2) what proposals his Department has to tackle age discrimination in the work place. [17043]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
The Government believes that age discrimination in employment is unfair and makes no economic sense, either for business or society. I told my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall North on 22 May 1997,Official Report, column 825, that I intended to consult widely on the best approach to this issue. The consultation is taking place.