To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate he has made of the average unit costs of (a) the face value of student loans, (b) the resource costs of student loans, (c) teaching grants through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, (d) maintenance...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate he has made of the average unit costs of (a) the face value of student loans, (b) the resource costs of student loans, (c) teaching grants through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, (d) maintenance...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate he has made of the additional costs of (a) the face value of student loans, (b) the resource costs of student loans, (c) teaching grant through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, (d) maintenance grant...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate he has made of the additional costs of (a) the face value of student loans, (b) the resource costs of student loans, (c) teaching grant through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, (d) maintenance grant...

Does the Chair of the Select Committee accept that, when I was in charge of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, we put considerable effort into trying to sell the previous loan book? We concluded that the inevitable uncertainties—future inflation rates, earnings rates and so on—made it quite impossible...

Does the Chair of the Select Committee accept that, when I was in charge of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, we put considerable effort into trying to sell the previous loan book? We concluded that the inevitable uncertainties—future inflation rates, earnings rates and so on—made it quite impossible...

May I add to my hon. Friend’s point? The Office for Budget Responsibility’s fiscal responsibility report makes it clear that there are three sets of national accounts: whole Government accounts, national accounts and resource accounts. The comments made by the right hon. Member for Havant (Mr Willetts) apply to only...

May I add to my hon. Friend’s point? The Office for Budget Responsibility’s fiscal responsibility report makes it clear that there are three sets of national accounts: whole Government accounts, national accounts and resource accounts. The comments made by the right hon. Member for Havant (Mr Willetts) apply to only...

I welcome this debate and congratulate colleagues on both sides of the House on securing it. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich West (Mr Bailey) and the hon. Member for Northampton South (Mr Binley) who opened the debate with their excellent speeches that summarised...

I welcome this debate and congratulate colleagues on both sides of the House on securing it. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich West (Mr Bailey) and the hon. Member for Northampton South (Mr Binley) who opened the debate with their excellent speeches that summarised...

That must of course be the case if graduates are working in non-graduate jobs. That is a bigger issue than higher education, of course, but the failure to use a graduate work force in graduate jobs is a

huge drag on the economy and is one of the reasons why...

That must of course be the case if graduates are working in non-graduate jobs. That is a bigger issue than higher education, of course, but the failure to use a graduate work force in graduate jobs is a

huge drag on the economy and is one of the reasons why...

That is an interesting point. Germany had a fees system and got rid of it, but the German system is much more diverse. Far fewer German students study away from home. The Germans have a different way—I would not suggest we go down this route —of seeing the diversity of...

That is an interesting point. Germany had a fees system and got rid of it, but the German system is much more diverse. Far fewer German students study away from home. The Germans have a different way—I would not suggest we go down this route —of seeing the diversity of...

We should therefore not say that there is a simple model to pick off the shelf from somewhere else, but, as I shall say in a moment, we should pick up the elements of our system that work and take elements that work from other systems. We could even invent...

We should therefore not say that there is a simple model to pick off the shelf from somewhere else, but, as I shall say in a moment, we should pick up the elements of our system that work and take elements that work from other systems. We could even invent...

I take responsibility, as all hon. Members must, for the use of those figures, but I have done my very best to ensure that they and the modelling have been done by the House of Commons Library, using the simplified higher education model produced by the Department for Business, Innovation...

I take responsibility, as all hon. Members must, for the use of those figures, but I have done my very best to ensure that they and the modelling have been done by the House of Commons Library, using the simplified higher education model produced by the Department for Business, Innovation...

You want me to finish my speech, Mr Deputy Speaker, but I will give way to the right hon. Gentleman.

You want me to finish my speech, Mr Deputy Speaker, but I will give way to the right hon. Gentleman.

My proposals would replace the maintenance grant with the maintenance loan. In other words, the income available to the student would remain exactly as it is currently. The key thing is that, provided fees are low enough, the total graduate debt would be less than under the current system. Putting...

My proposals would replace the maintenance grant with the maintenance loan. In other words, the income available to the student would remain exactly as it is currently. The key thing is that, provided fees are low enough, the total graduate debt would be less than under the current system. Putting...

I look forward to hearing the right hon. Gentleman, who I think is pursuing a debate about a pure graduate tax, which is of no interest to my proposals, as he will have heard. Could he tell us what the RAB charge represents? The only common-sense interpretation is that it...

I look forward to hearing the right hon. Gentleman, who I think is pursuing a debate about a pure graduate tax, which is of no interest to my proposals, as he will have heard. Could he tell us what the RAB charge represents? The only common-sense interpretation is that it...

In its evidence, million+ said that the political sensitivity of fees denies it the chance to run two-year degrees that would cost 80% of the cost of a three-year degree, because that would take the fees to more than £9,000 a year, even though the degree would be cheaper. Does...

In its evidence, million+ said that the political sensitivity of fees denies it the chance to run two-year degrees that would cost 80% of the cost of a three-year degree, because that would take the fees to more than £9,000 a year, even though the degree would be cheaper. Does...

For the record, I judge that of the roughly £700 million, £300 million is replicating the work that Aimhigher used to do and is of real value in

encouraging social mobility, but £400 million is spent on fees, reductions and bursaries, which has almost no value in persuading somebody to...

For the record, I judge that of the roughly £700 million, £300 million is replicating the work that Aimhigher used to do and is of real value in

encouraging social mobility, but £400 million is spent on fees, reductions and bursaries, which has almost no value in persuading somebody to...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Gulf States on the funding of Al-Qaeda and ISIS-affiliated groups in Pakistan by such states and private sources based in those states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Gulf States on the funding of Al-Qaeda and ISIS-affiliated groups in Pakistan by such states and private sources based in those states.

The right hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Nicholas Soames) spoke of the importance of high skills, so let me consider the Government’s record on higher education. The Government’s approach to funding higher education is scandalously irresponsible. It is bad value for taxpayers, and wilfully makes graduates pay far too much...

The right hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Nicholas Soames) spoke of the importance of high skills, so let me consider the Government’s record on higher education. The Government’s approach to funding higher education is scandalously irresponsible. It is bad value for taxpayers, and wilfully makes graduates pay far too much...

The attendance at this debate suggests that many hon. and right hon. Members across the House simply do not understand the logic behind the Government’s decision, and their lack of awareness of the impact on individual institutions.

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The attendance at this debate suggests that many hon. and right hon. Members across the House simply do not understand the logic behind the Government’s decision, and their lack of awareness of the impact on individual institutions.

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I congratulate the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston (Kate Green) on obtaining this important debate. I want to start by asking the Minister a question that sixth-form colleges have raised with me—how he thinks colleges should respond to the cut. Now that full-time students aged 18 will be funded...

I congratulate the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston (Kate Green) on obtaining this important debate. I want to start by asking the Minister a question that sixth-form colleges have raised with me—how he thinks colleges should respond to the cut. Now that full-time students aged 18 will be funded...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether students taking up the new places in higher education announced in the Autumn Statement 2013 will attract student maintenance support on the same basis as other English students in higher education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether students taking up the new places in higher education announced in the Autumn Statement 2013 will attract student maintenance support on the same basis as other English students in higher education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2013, Official Report, columns 875-6W, on higher education: student numbers, how many four-year degree courses entitled students to (a) three and (b) four years of fee loans and maintenance support in each...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2013, Official Report, columns 875-6W, on higher education: student numbers, how many four-year degree courses entitled students to (a) three and (b) four years of fee loans and maintenance support in each...