David Willetts

A cross-party Committee has condemned the Government’s policy of cutting £100m from second-chance students.

David Willetts MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said:

“This powerful report reinforces all our objections to the Government’s policy which has hit second-chance students so hard. There was no prior consultation. The consequences were not examined properly. And the transitional arrangements are deeply unfair.

“The only people left supporting this policy are the Government. Ministers should admit they have got it wrong.

“The change should be postponed and then reviewed as part of the forthcoming fees review.”

Notes for Editors

1. On 7th September 2007, the Government announced a cut of £100m for students on courses that are equivalent or lower than qualifications they already hold (ELQs). In 8th January 2008, the Conservatives called a debate on the cut in the House of Commons. David Willetts said: ‘I hope that tonight we will get a significant change of position from the Government … We do not want to live in a country where, if at first you don’t succeed, you don’t succeed.’

2. On 27th March 2008, the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee, a cross-party group of MPs, issued a report heavily criticising the Government’s policy. The report says:

• ‘students starting a second degree could see their tuition fees increase by 200%’ (p.3)
• ‘the transitional arrangements and exemptions are inadequate’ (p.3)
• ‘the change would have been better left until the independent review of variable fees in 2009′ (p.3)
• ‘we could find no convincing evidence that ELQ students were preventing access for first-time undergraduates’ (p.13)
• ‘there has been no consultation at all on the policy decision’ (p.15)
• ‘the exemptions proposed by the Government are inconsistent and unsuitable’ (p.29)
• ‘we cannot support the decision to cut funding to ELQ students in this way.’ (p.32)