HC Deb 25 May 2004 vol 421 cc1530-1W
Mr. Gale

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills from what date students living in North Thanet will be eligible to receive funding under the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme. [173911]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

[holding reply 19 May 2004]: We are phasing in the EMA scheme nationally from September 2004, to successive 16 year old year groups. EMA will be available to students in North Thanet who are aged 16 at the start of the 2004/2005 academic year.

Chris Ruane

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the impact of education maintenance allowances on benefits. [174856]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

This Department has worked closely with the Department for Work and Pensions in developing the English EMA scheme.

EMA will not affect other family benefits. It is specifically aimed at helping young people from lower income families to overcome barriers to further study caused by the costs of supporting students. EMA is paid in addition to other support provided by the Government, such as Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. EMA will not affect Child Benefit.

Mr. Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evidence(a) he and (b) the Department of Trade and Industry have collated on the impact of education maintenance allowances on the national minimum wage for 16 year olds; and if he will make a statement. [174942]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

The Government submitted evidence to the Low Pay Commission on the possible introduction of a minimum wage rate for 16 and 17 year olds in December 2003. The evidence provided the Government with an opportunity to assess the interaction between a minimum wage for 16–17 year olds and incentives to participate in education and training, such as EMA.

This evidence can be accessed online at www.dti.gov.uk/er/nmw/index.htm

Mr. Dhanda

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make education maintenance allowances available to young people whose birthdays do not fall within the defined boundaries solely as a result of their being moved a year ahead at school. [174986]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

Young people who have progressed a year at school and who are 15 when starting their further education are not eligible for EMA. The EMA scheme is targeted at those who reach compulsory school leaving age. To qualify for EMA under the national scheme a young person must reach the age of 16 between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 and enter full time education in the 2004/2005 academic year. In addition young people aged 17 and over who live in the 56 areas that have already piloted EMA will also be able to apply.