Student Loan System

Lord Naseby Excerpts

Tuesday 10th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I am tempted to say, “Who needs an Opposition?” I emphasise that this system is obviously getting a lot of attention at the moment. There is a lot of disquiet about what is happening to our young people. Of course, the Opposition have experience in this and, indeed, probably have a lot to contribute on just how difficult it is to move it forward. The whole premise running through this is how we can make the system fair and make sure that it is affordable for all young people, regardless of their family backgrounds and financial support, so they can access the best education opportunities in this country. I believe that is a prize worth fighting for. We need to look at this in detail and move forward as we can.

[Lord Naseby (Con)]

My Lords, I declare an interest as having two granddaughters currently with student loans. Could not His Majesty’s Government take a simple decision tomorrow to drop from RPI to CPI and look at the wider aspects thereafter?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

Well, I think we can safely say that no decision in this area is simple and straightforward: there are knock-on consequences of every single aspect. The responsible thing is to look at all of the detail, make sure that young people and their needs are kept at the forefront of this, and move forward in a sustainable way that brings benefit to everyone.