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Students: Finance

Volume 501: debated on Tuesday 24 November 2009

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the number of applications for finance made to Student Finance England which are awaiting decision; and if he will make a statement. (300917)

The Student Loans Company has released figures to show the levels of processing and payment of Student Support in England for the 2009/10 academic year. The information is available on the Student Loans Company website and includes information, under “application status”, on “applications currently being processed” and “further information required from student/sponsors”.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average time taken to process applications for finance made to Student Finance England for the 2009-10 academic year; and if he will make a statement. (300918)

I am informed by the SLC that, for those Student Finance England applications for both new students and those returning to University which had been approved by 1 November 2009, the average number of days from the date the applications were submitted to the date they were approved was 31 days.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the length of time for which Student Finance England has retained the passports of applicants for funding; and if he will make a statement. (300919)

I have received two representations from applicants of Student Finance England complaining that passports had not yet been returned. Both were advised on the reasons for the delay and have now had their passports returned.