Higher Education Fees

Debate between Lord Willetts and Dan Byles

Thursday 9th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

My hon. Friend is right. We have improved on the policies that we inherited from the previous Government. They had a threshold of £15,000 and we are increasing that to £21,000, which is why the poorest quarter of graduates will be better off under our proposals than on the scheme we inherited.

[Dan Byles]

Does my right hon. Friend agree with the former Labour Education Minister, Lord Adonis, who said that trying to introduce a graduate tax would be so complex that it would be a “catastrophe”?

[Mr Willetts]

Absolutely right. Lord Browne produced an excellent report. There is a group, “Blairites for Browne”, but of course they fell for that trick once before, so they are a bit wary this time.

The House should recognise that our proposals improve on the inheritance from the Labour Government. We have not only raised the threshold but increased the maintenance support available to students. Indeed, 500,000 students will receive more grant than they currently do.