§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the proposed scale revisions for contributions to fees under the music and ballet scheme will lead to greater proportional changes in contributions from parents with children at day schools than at boarding schools; and what representations he has received on this. [155863]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe revised parental contribution scale for day pupils under the music and ballet scheme will require greater contributions than at present from families whose annual income exceeds £25,000 in order to bring it into line with the scale for boarding pupils in terms of affordability and equity. Greater contributions will be required from the parents of boarding pupils where family income exceeds £45,000. However, the income threshold below which the parents of day pupils receive a free place will be higher, at £12,148 per annum, than that for boarding pupils, at £9,798 per annum, in recognition of the costs of keeping day pupils at home. Overall, about 85 per cent. of families using the music and ballet scheme will gain from the package of changes.
We have received representatives from 15 families affected by the proposed changes, seven of which are families of pupils holding day places under the scheme.