Student Accommodation And Financial Support

EDM number 1391 in 1992-93, proposed by Alex Salmond on 15/02/1993.

That this House regrets the decision taken by Scottish Homes to withdraw subsidies from student housing projects; deplores their view of student housing as low priority; notes that the average full board single hall is $52.21, which is 74 per cent. of a student's total weekly income; further notes that the cost of institutional accommodation between 1979-80 and 1991-92 rose by between 141 per cent. and 190 per cent., but in cash terms the student grant including the maximum student loan for 1992 rose by only 125 per cent.; realises that the Government needs to support its policy of expanding access into higher education by considerably increasing its funding of student housing to ensure a balance of affordable accommodation with expanding student numbers; notes the gravity of student debt; and calls on all honourable Members to urge the Government to increase the student grant to a decent living standard, end student loans and reinstate the rights of all students to social security benefits including housing benefit.

This motion has been signed by a total of 52 MPs.