University Tuition Fee Cap raise to £9,000 — Government should consult — rejected — 14 Dec 2010 at 20:16

In a replay (with exactly same amendment) of the previous vote^[3] the majority of MPs voted against changing the motion for debate from:

• That, for the purpose of section 24 of the Higher Education Act 2004, the higher amount should be increased to £9,000, and to £4,500 in the cases described in Regulation 5 of the draft regulations in Command Paper 7986, and that the increase should take effect from 1 September 2012.

to:

• This House
• regrets that the Government has failed to consult adequately with parents, students, higher education bodies, employers and local authorities on raising student tuition fees and to convince many people of the fairness and sustainability of its proposals for funding higher education;
• urges the Government to undertake more public consultation on the issue, including consultation with future graduates and their families who did not contribute to the consultation over the Browne review;
• further considers that there should be an independent impact assessment on (a) the financial consequences of the proposed fees on students from both lower and middle income families, and (b) the financial consequences of the proposed fees on women, including a full assessment of the impact of the fees on equalities and fairness, and further calls on Her Majesty's Government to commission new research to analyse the probable impact on demand for university courses of fees being increased to the range of £6,000 to £9,000 per annum from students from lower and middle income families and women; and
• further considers that, prior to contemplating any increase to the basic amount specified in section 24 of the Education Act 2004, the Government should publish a White Paper on reform of higher education funding, allowing for consultation and for consideration of alternative proposals.^[1]

This was the House of Lords verstion of the vote in the House of Commons on the same Statutory Instrument required for setting the upper limit for the university fee to £9,000 per year.^[2]

• [1] Lord Triesman, House of Lords, 14 December 2010
• [2] University Tuition Fee Cap - Set Basic Limit at £6,000 Per Year, House of Commons Division, 9 December 2010.
• [3] University Tuition Fee Cap raise to £6,000 - Government should consult - rejected, House of Commons Division, 14 December 2010

Debate in Parliament | Source |