Results 1-13 of 13 for ("top up" fees) speaker:Alan Johnson

Opposition Day — [12th Allotted Day]: Knife Crime (9 Jun 2009) has video

Alan Johnson: I like to think that the nation won— [ Laughter. ] On any disagreements that we have at the moment, the hon. Gentleman may catch up in a couple of years. We were talking about variable tuition fees—we do not call them top-up fees—and at the time he and his party were staunchly against them, but now they are very much for them. That is probably a prerequisite for the debates...

Amendment of the Law: Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation (22 Mar 2007)

Alan Johnson: The right hon. Gentleman is an expert among Conservative Members at breaking manifesto promises. There is a difference between top-up fees and variable tuition fees. However, as Beatrice Webb said about socialism, explaining it would take too many evenings. Let me point out what happened to the Conservative party's prediction that fees would lead to a collapse in university applications....

Higher Education Bill: New Clause 5 — Abolition of tuition fees chargeable to qualifying student (31 Mar 2004)

Mr Alan Johnson: ...be a 1 per cent. reduction and said that that was all that universities could take. Given that we had the same spending commitments as the previous Government, it was as a result of our using fees that we managed to meet the Dearing recommendation of a 1 per cent. reduction. Since then, in this spending review and the next one, there will be a considerable increase in funding per student....

Public Bill Committee: Higher Education Bill: [Part II] (9 Mar 2004)

Mr Alan Johnson: ...to an eligible student about the financial value of any grant''. It is another amendment on which there is no problem in principle. My argument is that it is unnecessary. The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2002 require us to inform eligible students about the financial value of the statutory support that they are entitled to receive under the regulations. Under the student...

Public Bill Committee: Higher Education Bill: Clause 35 - Enforcement of plans: England (9 Mar 2004)

Mr Alan Johnson: ...discussed the fact that the regulator has the power to issue sanctions where the access plan is breached. HEFCE has the power to issue sanctions, having worked closely with the regulator, where the fee cap is breached. That is a matter of degree, so I guess that the heinous crime would be the sort of situation to which the hon. Gentleman referred: if a university decided that it would...

Public Bill Committee: Higher Education Bill: Clause 23 - Condition that may be required to be imposed by English funding bodies (2 Mar 2004)

Mr Alan Johnson: I will not bore the Committee with definitions of top-up fees. The point is that the Conservative party has changed its position not since the last election, but since questions to the Department for Education and Skills about two months ago. When the previous shadow Secretary of State was in post, before the reshuffle and the change of leadership, it was perfectly clear what the policy was....

Public Bill Committee: Higher Education Bill: Clause 23 - Condition that may be required to be imposed by English funding bodies (26 Feb 2004)

Mr Alan Johnson: The hon. Gentleman looks shocked. He mentioned variability and then top-up fees. Does he remember tabling a parliamentary question in 1998 asking for a definition of top-up fees? Does he remember that the reply—it was the subject of much debate at the time—was that, with top-up fees, the Government set the fee and the universities are entitled to top it up beyond that and beyond...

Higher Education Bill (27 Jan 2004)

Mr Alan Johnson: ...a manifesto commitment. My right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) was clear in the late 1990s in introducing legislation, and very clear about the definition of top-up fees—the Government place a charge and universities can top it up to whatever they like. We will never do that now. We will not legislate for that in the future.

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Top-up Fees (15 Jan 2004)

Mr Alan Johnson: ...the hon. Lady cares to wait. My right hon. Friend wrote an article, as well as the manifesto commitment, and he pointed out the terms of the debate in 1997 and 1998, following the Dearing report. Top-up fees meant that the Government set a fee and universities were allowed to top them up to whatever level they liked. I was pleased that my right hon. Friend reminded us of the true...

Tuition Fees (Cornwall) (7 Jan 2004)

Mr Alan Johnson: I congratulate the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on having initiated this debate at a time when the subject is topical. I was hoping that we would avoid the party political Punch and Judy show in which we shall, I am sure, have plenty of opportunities to engage in the coming weeks, and that the debate would provide me with a further opportunity to set out the...

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Top-up Fees (18 Dec 2003)

Mr Alan Johnson: ...2003, c. 359–60W Advertising about the student finance package will in fact cost a total of £682,000 (excluding VAT). The Department has not spent any money on advertisements to promote top-up fees. We are, however, running advertising to inform those considering applying now for a higher education course in September 2004 about the student support package available to them and...

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Top-up Fees (9 Dec 2003)

Mr Alan Johnson: holding answer 8 December 2003 The Department has not run any advertising in the last six months to promote and explain top-up fees. However, it has run advertising to inform those considering applying for a higher education course about the student support package available to them and how to apply. This is an annual campaign and was launched last month with radio, magazine and poster...

Top-up Fees (16 Jul 2003)

Mr Alan Johnson: ...to today's economy. It is saloon-bar, red-neck language—not that I would accuse the good citizens of Northavon of that—to suggest that, because media studies has become an important topic, it is irrelevant. It is not irrelevant. The higher education sector needs to get that message across. I have listened carefully to the points that have been made. I remain convinced that the...