Higher Education Fees

Rushanara Ali Excerpts

Thursday 9th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

I will take one more intervention.

[Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab)]

Despite this talk of supporting people on low incomes, I find it quite hard to stomach what I am hearing, because in my constituency, for example, the vast majority of young people come from low-income backgrounds, yet they will be losing support through the education maintenance allowance, from which 88% of Bangladeshi children across England benefit. That one ethnic minority group, along with white working-class children, will be prevented from going on to higher education. Coupled with that are the cuts in the future jobs fund—£1 billion, and we are still waiting to hear—so please think again.

[Vince Cable]

rose—