Clause 23 - Condition that may be required to be imposed by English funding bodies

Part of Higher Education Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:45 pm on 24 February 2004.

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Photo of Patrick Hall Patrick Hall Labour, Bedford 4:45, 24 February 2004

I did not refer to 1997, but was referring to recent years—[Interruption.] It is interesting that the Conservatives are allowed to ruin the economy for 18 years, but that a Labour Government take a lot less time than that to hold the situation and then to change it into a position of sustained, real, year-on-year investment increases in the public services. That is beginning to happen in the higher education sector. In the current spending review period there has been real growth of more than 6 per cent. That is not a cut or a decrease—we are now able to sustain growth. There has been an additional £3.7 billion during the spending review period. However, as I keep saying, we acknowledge that that is not enough, and that we need to do more. The proposals to introduce variable fees are intended to be additional—neither a substitute nor an excuse for reducing the contribution by Government grant or the general taxpayer.