Higher Education Funding

Debate between Tessa Munt and Lord Willetts

Wednesday 3rd November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Willetts]

I do not recognise the hon. Gentleman’s figure of £45,000. The crucial point, which Members of all parties should get across, is that this is a graduate contribution scheme, and people will have to start paying back only if they are earning more than £21,000 a year, which I suspect is higher than median earnings in his constituency.

[Tessa Munt (Wells) (LD)]

rose—

[Tessa Munt]

Sorry, Sir, and thank you.

I have discovered that £19 million of bursary money was apparently not spent last year. Does the Minister believe that is correct, and will there be some way of preventing that appalling situation from ever happening again?

[Mr Willetts]

I was not aware of that specific sum of money, but I would be interested in looking into the matter further. There is certainly a wider problem that bursary spending does not appear to be influencing access and participation by prospective students. That is why we believe there should be initiatives by individual universities, and that their performance should be monitored externally. That will be a far more effective way of spreading participation and broadening access to our universities.