Citation, commencement, application and interpretation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Assisted Places) (Incidental Expenses) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 and shall come into force on 25th August 1996.

(2) These Regulations shall apply to a school year beginning on or after the date mentioned in paragraph (1).

(3) In these Regulations, a reference to the principal expenses Regulations is a reference to the Education (Assisted Places) (Incidental Expenses) Regulations 1995(2).

Amendments to the principal expenses Regulations

2. The principal expenses Regulations shall be amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 6 below.

3. In regulation 3-

(a)for paragraph (3) there is substituted-

"(3) The school shall pay uniform grant to the parents in the case of an assisted pupil-

(i)who is in his first year at a school as an assisted pupil, and

(ii)as regards whom the relevant income does not exceed £11,056,

of an amount equal to so much of the parents' clothing expenditure as does not exceed-

(a)£169 where the relevant income does not exceed £9,707;

(b)£127 where that income exceeds £9,707 but does not exceed £10,159;

(c)£83 where that income exceeds £10,159 but does not exceed £10,593; and

(d)£43 where that income exceeds £10,595 but does not exceed £11,056."; and

(b)for paragraph (5), there is substituted-

"(5) Except where paragraph (3) applies, a school shall pay uniform grant in the case of an assisted pupil as regards whom the relevant income does not exceed £10,595 and in such case the grant shall be of an amount equal to so much of the clothing expenditure (disregarding expenditure in respect of which a previous grant has been paid) as does not exceed-

(a)£63 where the relevant income does not exceed £9,873; and

(b)£33 where that income exceeds £9,873 but does not exceed £10,595.".

4. In regulation 5(2)-

(a)in paragraph (a), for "£9,585" there is substituted "£9,886", and

(b)in paragraph (b), for "£9,406" there is substituted "£9,707".

5. In regulations 7(2) and 8(2) there is inserted in each case after "exceeds" the words "in the case of a pupil who has not attained the age of 8 years 3.2 kilometres, and in the case of a pupil who has attained that age".

6. In regulation 11(1), for paragraphs (e) and (f) there are substituted-

"(e)modern languages at advanced level,

(f)theatre studies,

(g)zoology, or

(h)any other subject approved for the purposes of this regulation by the Secretary of State,".

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Education (Assisted Places) (Incidental Expenses) (Amendment) Regulations 1995 in respect of a school year beginning on or after 25th August 1996.

The means tests (set out in regulations 3 and 5 of the 1995 Regulations) for uniform and travel grants are relaxed and the amount of grant payable increased (regulations 3 and 4).

The walking distance between home and school above which travel grant becomes payable to the parents of weekly boarding and day pupils (set out in regulations 7 and 8 of the 1995 Regulations) is reduced to 3.2 kilometres in relation to pupils under the age of 8 years (regulation 5).

Theatre studies and modern languages at advanced level are added to the list of subjects in respect of which a school is required (under regulation 11 of the 1995 Regulations) to remit its charges as regards the participation in field study courses of certain assisted pupils (regulation 6).