§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to ensure that students required114W to undertake a fourth year at law school after taking their first degree will continue to be eligible for Vocational Training Relief after September 2000. [106044]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Chancellor announced in the March 1999 Budget that Vocational Training Relief (VTR) will be withdrawn when the national framework for Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) is launched, under which people who open ILAs will be eligible for discounts towards the cost of approved types of learning. In last November's pre-Budget Report we said that, on current plans, the discounts will first become available from September this year and that accordingly VTR is to be withdrawn at the end of August.
On that basis, VTR will not be due for training payments made on or after 1 September 2000. Students undertaking training which currently qualifies for VTR and continues after September 2000 will, however, be eligible for VTR if they pay the remaining course fees before the end of August 2000.