asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what the cost of undertaking an Open university BA course was in each of the past two years; what it is likely to be in 1979 and each succeeding year until the candidate has completed a BA; and if she will seek to make the grants system mandatory for such courses.

The annual cost of taking an Open university degree course varies with the number of credits taken and according to whether they involve at- dence she has received of the loss of clinical dental teachers following the recent pay award to them.

None.