asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the present cost of grants paid to British in parental contributions; and how much it costs to administer the scheme.

For the academic year 1978–79 it is estimated that local education authorities in England and Wales, and the Scottish Education Department, will spend about £175 million on the maintenance elements of awards and about £125 million on fees for students ordinarily resident in Great Britain and attending first degree courses at universities in the United Kingdom. In addition, the total assessed parental contribution toward grants for these students is estimated to be about £55 million. No reliable estimate of the cost of administering the awards scheme is available.