Higher Education: Financial Sustainability

Baroness Benjamin Excerpts

Monday 15th December 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Benjamin (LD)]

My Lords, we need to bridge the social mobility gap. As the report states, universities will have to face huge cuts in the future. How will the Government ensure that spending on widening access to higher education is not the first place where savings will be found? I declare an interest as the chancellor of the University of Exeter.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, the cap will be lifted in 2016, widening access as far as possible. In fact, disadvantaged students now make up 17% of the total, which is a record level.