asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what proposals he has to increase student grants in the next financial year;(2) whether he will have a wide ranging review of student grants policy.

As has been the practice in every third year since 1962, my Department and the Scottish Education Department are at present carrying out a review of student awards. This review will take represents about 12 per cent. of the relevant maintained school population in that year. It is not possible to use the survey data to make estimates of entitlement for individual authorities.