Financial Support (Students)

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 2:54 pm on 15 December 2010.

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Photo of Pat Glass Pat Glass Labour, North West Durham 2:54, 15 December 2010

I was very interested in what my hon. Friend Jeremy Corbyn had to say about the pilot in Hackney, because as a young education officer 25 years ago in Gateshead, I was managing a service that was delivering EMAs. It was paid for by the local authority. The young people who received EMAs then are now the parents of the schoolchildren in Gateshead, who, as the Secretary of State often points out, are outperforming similar children under similar authorities across the country. The EMA is not only about student support. It is a gateway to higher education. It is about investing in the local community. Indeed, it is a long-term investment in standards.