STUDENT LOANS AND BENEFITS

Early day motion 1056, tabled 27 July 2000 by Simon Thomas (Plaid Cymru). Signed by 36 members.

That this House regrets the fact that student loans are regarded as income for the purposes of housing and council tax benefit; notes that this policy has a particularly injurious effect on mature students, thereby thwarting the Government's laudable aims in respect of life-long learning; believes that this treatment means that such students pay back their loans twice over; and calls upon the Government to disregard loans as income in the future.

Signatures by party: Labour 17, Liberal Democrat 11, Plaid Cymru 4, Labour/Co-operative 2, Scottish National Party 2.