Education

Chris Skidmore Excerpts
Thursday 20th December 2018

(5 years, 10 months ago)

Ministerial Corrections
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Afzal Khan Portrait Afzal Khan
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According to a recent report in the Huffington Post, the living costs of students in Manchester has rocketed by 37% in the last 10 years. Cost should not be a barrier to accessing the country’s best universities, such as the University of Manchester. What is the Minister doing to encourage universities to keep students’ costs affordable?

Chris Skidmore Portrait Chris Skidmore
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Students who started their courses in the current academic year have had access to the highest ever funding levels to support their living costs. We now have a system of support that targets those from the lowest-income families, who need it the most. A record number of 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds went to university this year, 68% more than in 2009. [Official Report, 17 December 2018, Vol. 651, c. 519.]

Letter of correction from the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation:

An error has been identified in the response I gave to the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Afzal Khan).

The correct response should have been:

Chris Skidmore Portrait Chris Skidmore
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Students who started their courses in the current academic year have had access to the highest ever funding levels to support their living costs. We now have a system of support that targets those from the lowest-income families, who need it the most. A record rate of 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds went to university this year, 52% more than in 2009.