§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what financial help he plans to make available to postgraduate trainee teachers whose courses started too early for them to be eligible for training bursaries. [160151]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisOn 30 March, my noble Friend the Minister for Education and Employment in the Lords made regulations allowing the Teacher Training Agency to make payments to any postgraduate currently in teacher training who did not qualify for a £6,000 training bursary and who, in the Agency's opinion, has suffered financial hardship as a result. However, the Agency has since informed my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State that unforeseen difficulties in setting up the hardship scheme would lead to any payments under the Regulations being delayed significantly beyond the start of the summer 2001 term.
The Regulations were designed to allow help to be offered this term to postgraduate trainee teachers whose courses began during the 1999–2000 academic year and who remain in training now, but are not eligible for any training bursary payments. Hon. Members from all sides of the House have made representations to my right hon. Friend about the hardship that this group of trainees has suffered as a result of being ineligible for the training bursaries. In view of this evidence, my right hon. Friend believes that it would be wrong to allow financial assistance to be delayed to an extent that might cause further disadvantage. Accordingly, he has decided that the trainees in question should be made eligible to receive full £6,000 training bursaries with immediate effect, subject to the same conditions that apply to trainees whose courses began on or after 1 September 2000. My Department and the Teacher Training Agency are contacting training providers with details of these new arrangements.