Student Maintenance Grants

Debate between Yasmin Qureshi and Gordon Marsden

Tuesday 19th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Marsden]

I will give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne) and then briefly to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton South East (Yasmin Qureshi).

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Marsden]

No, I will not give way again, as I have already indicated. A large number of people wish to speak, and I need to give them a chance to do so.

[Yasmin Qureshi]

Will my hon. Friend give way?

[Mr Marsden]

Yes, I have already indicated that I would do so.

[Yasmin Qureshi]

Does my hon. Friend remember that, in the last Parliament, the Government abolished the education maintenance allowance for 16 to 18-year-olds going into further education? They are now abolishing the maintenance grant for poorer people going into higher education, yet they managed to find tax cuts for millionaires in the last Parliament. Does this not show that this Tory Government are really not concerned about the poor and disadvantaged people in this country, whether in relation to housing, to universal credit, to disability or to education? They just don’t care.

[Mr Marsden]

My hon. Friend refers to the abolition of the EMA—