Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Tuition Fees.
Tuition Fees
Asked where journalists could find the forty different models relating to higher education funding which had been alluded to during PMQs today, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that as the Education Secretary had told the House this afternoon, he was slightly mystified as to where the figure had come from. Essentially, there were four models to raise money to fund higher education: increasing income tax by the Government, which had not been considered; introducing a graduate tax; introducing a flat fee; or introducing a variable fee. Our preferred option was the latter, which was what we would legislate for. DfES had pointed out that a large amount of information relating to the different models was already in the public domain. For example, one Backbencher, Paul Farrelly MP, had asked over one hundred PQs on this issue, all of which had been answered in full by the Department. However, we were perfectly willing to bring this information together again. As the Prime Minister had indicated at PMQs, we were more than happy to have this debate focussed on policy. Charles Clarke had said today that there would be a number of themed meetings with Parliamentary colleagues in the run-up to Christmas. At that point, the information would be brought together to help understanding and encourage a more informed debate. Put to him that the aim of the meetings was not to have a debate but to prove that what the Government was doing was right, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister could not have been clearer in the House today and in his press conference yesterday about the principles regarding tuition fees. They would not change. What we were about was explanation. There was more-or-less a consensus that our universities needed more funding. The question was how to do that. The Government was keen to explain the policy decision that it had taken in terms of the replacement of upfront fees with variable fees, repayment after graduation linked to earnings, accompanied by bursaries for those from poorer backgrounds, and increased numbers of students going into higher education.
Asked why he had highlighted only four models but we had ruled one out - namely higher income tax, the PMOS said you could always simply raise tax to fund proposals. We did not think it was fair that people who did not go to university should continue to give more subsidy to those who did through general taxation, particularly when graduates earned more than non-graduates.
Asked why he kept saying ‘linked to earnings’ when the repayment would be flat, the PMOS said that was because it would indeed be linked to how much people earned. There was a formula, so the amount repaid changed according to salary.
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