Student Loans

John Glen Excerpts

Tuesday 15th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Order. We have about 10 minutes for questions and answers, so they must be brief.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

I thank the hon. Lady for her clear summation of the Committee’s report. I want to press her on the repayment threshold. She says that in the Government’s response, they have not ruled out reviewing it, but given the relatively modest amount of money and the significant number of young people who would be positively affected, does she think that this should be one of the top priorities for the new Chancellor on 28 October?

[Dame Meg Hillier]

I absolutely think it should be a high priority, because this generation is being so severely squeezed. The Government’s response to the Committee said:

“The Government recognises the cost-of-living challenges faced by many graduates, including those with Plan 2 student loans, and understands concerns about the impact of repayment terms on borrowers.”

The response says further that the Government

“keep all aspects of the student finance system under review.”

This is one change that is very simple to make and relatively cheap. I recognise that the Chancellor has had many challenges even since we put out our report, but this is an achievable change that could be done quickly and would make a big difference to this cohort.