"Solitary confinement beyond 15 days is considered psychological torture under international law. UN experts report that the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been held in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day, raising concerns about mistreatment. Reports suggest that he is losing vision, and is …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech
"I thank hon. Members for taking part in the debate. I will add just one point, which is that IFS calculations suggest that a graduate would need to earn £63,000 a year just to keep a £50,000 loan from growing. That is an astronomical figure just to stop the interest …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech
That this House has considered student loan repayment plans.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. Students across the country have been protesting the unfairness of the student loan system—a system that millions of young people believe is rigged against them and …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech
"I will expand on this as I go on, because I think everybody is involved, and I shall distribute responsibility fairly across the board.
Since 2012, around 5.8 million people have taken out plan 2 loans. They were told that university was the gateway to opportunity, that it would pay …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech
"I think the whole system needs to be reformed. Tinkering around the edges is not going to cut it any more; we are looking for a much fairer system...." Jas Athwal - View Speech
"I agree that we need to reform this system and look at other ways of doing it. That is the ethos of my ask today: for the Minister to go away and really think about this. I do not want to look at the whole process in this debate, but …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech
"I agree with my hon. Friend; we must be clear where the blame lies. It is not fair that a system created by one party and enabled by another is now presided over by my own party, who will clear up the mess. The system burdens millions, such as my …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech
"I will later make the point about the structural imbalance that needs to be corrected. This situation is not just stressful for students; it should also concern the Treasury. Under plan 2 loans, graduates repay 9% of income above £28,470 this tax year. From April, that threshold rises to £29,385. …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech
"I absolutely agree. This is so important, which is why we are here to look at the system.
Interest accrues from the moment the first payment is made, and it is linked to RPI, with the current maximum rate of 6.2%. Here is the stark reality: in 2024-25, plan 2 …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech
"The hon. Lady makes a valid point. I wholeheartedly agree that the system is rigged against working women who take time out to have children, so we need to make it fairer.
A graduate constituent of mine told me that she was the first woman in her entire lineage to …..." Jas Athwal - View Speech