Citation, commencement and application

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Grants) (Music, Ballet and Choir Schools) (Amendment) Regulations 1999, and shall come into force on 1st September 1999.

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

Amendment of the Education (Grants) (Music, Ballet and Choir Schools) Regulations 1995

2.-(1) Schedule 1 to the Education (Grants) (Music, Ballet and Choir Schools) Regulations 1995(2) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph 8, in sub-paragraphs (3) and (5), for "£1,265" in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted "£1,300 ".

(3) In paragraph 13(2), for "£8,963" there shall be substituted " £9,183".

(4) For the table in paragraph 13(3), there shall be substituted the following table-�

(4) In paragraph 14-�

(a)in sub-paragraph (2), for "£11,275" there shall be substituted " £11,553", and

(b)in sub-paragraph (3), for "£11,126" there shall be substituted " £11,404".

(5) For paragraph 17 there shall be substituted-�

"Uniform grant

17.-(1) In this paragraph-�

• "clothing expenditure", in relation to an aided pupil, means expenditure which the school are satisfied-�

  (a)

  has been incurred by his parents, or

  (b)

  is about to be incurred by them but which they cannot, without financial hardship, incur in advance of the payment of grant,

  on items of uniform and other clothing (including sports clothing) to be worn by him either at school or for the purposes of school activities;

• "first aided year", in relation to an aided pupil, means the school year in which he first becomes an aided pupil at a school; and

• "uniform grant", in relation to an aided pupil, means grant payable to his parents in respect of clothing expenditure.

(2) This paragraph applies to an aided pupil in relation to his first aided year where the relevant income does not exceed £11,965.

(3) Where paragraph (2) applies to an aided pupil, the school shall (subject to paragraph (7)) pay uniform grant to his parents of an amount equal to so much of the clothing expenditure incurred in respect of the first aided year as does not exceed-�

(a)£183 where the relevant income does not exceed £10,504;

(b)£137 where that income exceeds £10,504 but does not exceed £10,993;

(c)£89 where that income exceeds £10,933 but does not exceed £11,466; and

(d)£46 where that income exceeds £11,466 but does not exceed £11,965.

(4) Any uniform grant payable pursuant to paragraph (3) in respect of the first aided year may be paid at any time during the period commencing on 1st September 1999 and ending at the end of that year.

(5) This paragraph applies to an aided pupil in relation to any school year where the relevant income does not exceed £11,466, unless (in the case of his first aided year) grant is payable to his parents under paragraph (3) in respect of that year.

(6) Where paragraph (5) applies to an aided pupil in relation to any school year, the school shall pay uniform grant to his parents of an amount equal to so much of the clothing expenditure (disregarding expenditure in respect of which a previous grant has been paid) incurred in respect of that year as does not exceed-�

(a)£69 where the relevant income does not exceed £10,670; and

(b)£36 where that income exceeds £10,670 but does not exceed £11,466.

(7) Where an aided pupil has been a registered pupil at a school before he first took up an aided place there, the school shall not pay any uniform grant in respect of clothing expenditure incurred before the pupil first took up that place.".

(6) In paragraph 19-�

(a)in sub-paragraph (2)(a), for "£10,427" there shall be substituted " £10,683", and

(b)in sub-paragraph (2)(b), for "£10,248" there shall be substituted " £10,504".

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Education (Grants) (Music, Ballet and Choir Schools) Regulations 1995. They come into force on 1st September 1999 and have effect in relation to a school year beginning on or after that date.

Schedule 1 to the 1995 Regulations (which establishes the aided pupil scheme, sets out conditions of eligibility for aided places, and provides for remission of fees, payment of grant and administrative provisions) is amended (by regulation 2) as follows-�

(a)the reduction to be made (under paragraph 8) in relevant income in respect of dependent relatives pursuant to sub-paragraphs (3) and (5) is increased to £1,300 (from £1,265);

(b)the means tests for the remission of fees (in paragraphs 13 and 14) is relaxed: the level of income at or below which fees are to be wholly remitted is set at £9,183 instead of £8,963 (in respect of boarding pupils), and £11,553 instead of £11,275 (in respect of day pupils), with corresponding increases in the extent of remission where relevant income exceeds those sums;

(c)a redrafted paragraph 17 of the 1995 Regulations is substituted, but the only substantive change is to relax the means tests for uniform grant and increase the amount of grant payable; and

(d)the means test for travel grant (under paragraph 19) is relaxed and the amount of grant payable is increased.