§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to(a) change the student support package to reflect social changes since the Education Act 1962 and (b) simplify and make more intelligible the content of the implementing regulations. [145395]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 15 January 2001]: Our policy is to provide financial support in a way which is fair to students, families and the taxpayer and which provides carefully targeted help for the most needy. Among the changes we propose to make in 2001–02 are: a childcare grant package for students with children; an increase to the parent and spouse income thresholds of around 10 per cent. above the rate of inflation; and a 326W simplified method of calculating contributions from parents and spouses. These changes will be set out in the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2001, which will be laid before Parliament in the spring.