106.—(1) The Secretary of State may make it a condition of entitlement to payment of any loan that the eligible or qualifying student must provide him with his United Kingdom national insurance number.
(2) Where the Secretary of State has imposed a condition under paragraph (1), he must not make any payment of the loan to the eligible or qualifying student before he is satisfied that the student has complied with that condition.
(3) Despite paragraph (2), the Secretary of State may make a payment of loan to an eligible or qualifying student if he is satisfied that owing to exceptional circumstances it would be appropriate to make such a payment without the eligible or qualifying student having complied with the condition imposed under paragraph (1).