Vol. 403 No. 4
265 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the many anomalies caused by the 15 mile rule covering students attending regional technical colleges and in receipt of ESF grants; if she intends to introduce any degree of flexibility into the 15 mile rule; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The ESF training grants scheme covers a series of full time vocational training courses of up to three years duration in regional technical colleges and colleges of technology. Trainees are entitled to tuition fee remission and a monthly maintenance allowance currently valued at £547 or £1,373 per annum depending on whether or not they must reside away from home in a college town.
The regulations governing the ESF scheme stipulate that the lower rate of grant is applicable in the case of trainees, (a) whose home is within 15 miles of the college attended, (b) who travel, or could reasonably be expected to travel, daily between their home and the college. The regulations further stipulate that the higher rate may be paid only to those not covered by (a) and (b) above who are obliged to stay overnight in a college town for the purpose of attending a training course.
