Clause 22 - Power of Secretary of State to impose condition as to student fees, etc.
Higher Education Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Tim Collins (Westmorland and Lonsdale, Conservative)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, but even as it stands the amendment would provide elucidation. If a higher education institution chose to levy a top-up fee that was above £3,000, or above £3,000 adjusted for inflation, I imagine that it would be the subject of considerable media comment. If the Secretary of State were then required to provide a return on what sanctions he had brought in and if that
were a nil return, it would be an additional, albeit minor, pressure on him. It would encourage him to think that he could not possibly produce a nil return because it would look extraordinary.
Perhaps the Secretary of State would be like the Secretary of State for Defence and would not read his press cuttings. It would look like he was not on top of his subject. The amendment would provide extra pressure requiring him to act in the way that the Minister says that he hopes and expects he would.