Oral Answers to Questions

Mike Freer Excerpts

Tuesday 21st December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mike Weatherley (Hove) (Con)]

3. What estimate he made of the effect on public finances of the introduction of a graduate tax.

[Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green) (Con)]

6. What estimate he made of the effect on public finances of the introduction of a graduate tax.

[Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con)]

14. What estimate he made of the effect on public finances of the introduction of a graduate tax.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Osborne]

I absolutely do agree with that. Interestingly, as I said in my opening reply, anyone who has ever looked at the issue in government, as we did over the summer and as the shadow Chancellor did when he was the Minister responsible for higher education, has concluded that it is unworkable. It destroys the independence of universities, and it is unfair, because some students would pay much more than the cost of their education, others would avoid it altogether by moving abroad, and millions of students on lower incomes than those specified by our proposals would be hit by a tax rise. It is also unaffordable, and as Lord Browne pointed out in the report that the previous Government commissioned, it would take until 2041 for the system to start paying for itself.

[Mike Freer]

Has the Chancellor, in developing our policy on a graduate tax, been able to bear in mind the policies of the Opposition?

[Hon. Members]

No!