The majority of MPs voted in favour of university tuition fees increasing from £1125 per year to up to £3000 per year, and to make other changes to higher education funding and regulation arrangements.

The majority of MPs voted to allow the Higher Education Bill 2004 to move to its Second reading, and continue its path to becoming law.

The main provisions of the bill were:

• To allow University tuition fees to increase from the fixed £1125 per year to up to £3000 per year.
• To create the Office for Fair Access to regulation higher education institution's charging of fees.
• To create the Office of the Adjudicator in Higher Education - a complaints body - higher education institutions became legally bound to deal with.
• To create the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

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• [1] Wikipedia article on the Higher Education Act 2004

The majority of MPs voted to introduce variable university tuition fees (top-up fees) of up to £3,000 per year in place of the previous fixed fee of £1,250 per year.

A proposed new clause 5 was refused a second reading ie. it was rejected. If it had been incorporated into the final Act this would have removed top-up fees from the legislation.

The text of the rejected clause read:

• (1) This section applies to fees charged by a relevant institution in respect of a qualifying course in connection with the undertaking of that course by a qualifying student.
• (2) No fees to which this section applies may be charged in respect of any academic year unless regulations under section 22 of the 1998 Act (new arrangements for giving financial support to students) make provision in the case of all qualifying students for authorising a grant in respect of that academic year to be paid directly to the relevant institution the amount of which is equal to the amount of the fees.
• (3) In this section—
• "academic year", in relation to a course, means an academic year applicable to the course;
• "qualifying course" means a course which is—
• (a) a designated course within the meaning of the student support regulations, and
• (b) provided by an institution in England within the meaning of section 62 (7) of the 1992 Act;
• "qualifying student" means a person who is of the class specified in Schedule 1 to the student support regulations other than—
• (a) persons who are not eligible for support under the student support regulations by reason of regulations 4(2) of those regulations, and
• (b) persons who are not eligible for a grant for fees under the student support regulations by reason of regulations 10(2) of those regulations;
• "relevant institution" means an institution specified by the Secretary of State in a condition under section 68(1) of the 1992 Act or section 7(1) of the 1998 Act;
• "the student support regulations" means the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (S.I., 2002/3200)

The majority of MPs voted to introduce variable university tuition fees (top-up fees) of up to £3,000 per year in place of the previous fixed fee of £1,250 per year.

The defeated amendment, No. 128, was introduced by Dr Ian Gibson MP who said of the amendment^[1]:

• It was recommended by the Public Bill Office as the only way to remove the introduction of variable fees from the Bill
• [1] Dr Ian Gibson MP, House of Commons, 31 March 2004

The majority of MPs voted to allow the Higher Education Bill 2004 to move to its third reading, and continue its path to becoming law.

The main provisions of the bill were:

• To allow University tuition fees to increase from the fixed £1125 per year to up to £3000 per year.
• To create the Office for Fair Access to regulation higher education institution's charging of fees.
• To create the Office of the Adjudicator in Higher Education - a complaints body - higher education institutions became legally bound to deal with.
• To create the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

==

• [1] Wikipedia article on the Higher Education Act 2004

The majority of MPs voted to allow universities to charge higher fees and to charge fees after the third year.

Lords amendment no. 2 was rejected in this vote.

During debate the effect of amendment 2 was described as being to:"not only stop universities charging higher fees, but abolish all fees after the third year"^[1]

• [1] Alan Johnston MP, House of Commons, 23 June 2004

The majority of MPs voted to raise the university tuition fee cap at £3,000 per year.

MPs passed Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 1932^[1]. The text of the approved motion read:

• That the draft Student Fees (Amounts) (England) Regulations 2004 which were laid before this House on 1st July, be approved.

The £3,000 "Higher Amount" is the maximum fee an institution can charge if it has a plan in place under section 33 of the 2004 Higher Education Act^[2]. Such plans require institutions to set out how they are to promote awareness of financial and access arrangements for the course. Regulations may be introduced to require governing bodies to monitor their institutions' compliance with their plans.

The Statutory Instrument charged set the amount chargeable in the absence of an approved plan at £1,200 per year.

• [1] Student Fees (Amounts) (England) Regulations 2004
• [2] Section 33 of the 2004 Higher Education Act - The legislation which defines the plans required to charge the higher rate of fees.

*Pressure of other work means MPs or Lords are not always available to vote – it does not always indicate they have abstained. Therefore, being absent on a less important vote makes a disproportionatly small difference.