Written question asked by James Paice (Conservative) on Tuesday, 23 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 March 2010. It was answered by David Lammy (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Students: Disabled

Question: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Student Loans Company follows in administering the disabled students allowance in order to ensure that companies supplying specialist equipment to recipients have the capacity to deliver (a) the volume of equipment tendered and (b) ongoing support for the duration of a student's course of study.

Answer: There is no contractual relationship between the Student Loans Company (SLC) and companies supplying specialist equipment which may be purchased by recipients of disabled students' allowances (DSAs). The Department recommends that SLC deals with suppliers audited by the disabled students' allowances—Quality Assurance Group¹ and committed to specific service level agreements (which include a requirement to provide support for the duration of the student's course). However, DSAs are personal grants to individual students who are entitled to use whichever supplier they wish."¹ The disabled students' allowances—Quality Assurance Group is a registered charity which provides a quality assurance service for assessment centres in the delivery of the disabled students allowances in England and Wales."

Secondary information