Well ... er ... Thanks!

The Government has, in one budget, increased assistance to students by nearly 40 per cent.

It has accepted the idea of tax-free grants to university research.

It has increased grants for halls of residence to a point where such projects become financially feasible.

We have our reservations on all these points. We would have liked to see a higher grant for first-year students. We would have liked a higher limit on taxfree grants. And we think it inconsistent that hostel subsidies are calculated on £1800 a bed when current building costs are known to be £2000 a bed. We would have liked an interest-free loan scheme for students on overseas models.

We have the background fear that the Budget is an inflationary one and that our increases will be reduced in value by a rise in living costs.

But basically, we must be profoundly relieved that the Government has so thoroughly confirmed the justice of the student case.

The Government had, after all, given us good reason to doubt that they had perceived this fact. We have had too much of inane emotion from people like the member for Hawkes Bay.

We could have done with more of Mr. Lake's terse prose two months ago, in place of the childish attempts to deride and undercut the student case.

We offer Mr. Lake our, qualified, thanks.—H.B.R.