§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many families with children currently in receipt of state assistance with fees with the music and ballet scheme will(a) benefit and (b) lose from the proposed restructuring of fee scales for Autumn 2001; what the maximum annual amount of this loss is; and for how many there will be no effect. [149752]
§ Ms Estelle Morris[holding answer 13 February 2001]: The music and ballet scheme helps exceptionally talented children who could not otherwise afford the full cost of intensive tuition. The amount of assistance with fees is based on a sliding scale linked to family income. In the academic year 2001–02, around 23 per cent. of families, those on low incomes, will get free places and make no contribution towards fees. We estimate that 85 per cent. of all families will benefit (or in some cases at least be no worse off) from the proposed restructuring of the parental contribution scales. A middle income family on £30,000 a year will be over £530 better off.