To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure children from less privileged backgrounds are not deterred from applying to university.

The coalition Government have been very clear about the importance of widening participation and improving fair access in higher education—all those with the ability should have access to higher education irrespective of family income.

Under our student finance reforms no eligible student pays up front for their first degree. Loans are only repaid once graduates have jobs and are earning over £21,000.

The Government are establishing a new framework, with increased responsibility placed on universities to widen participation. This includes arrangements for new annual access agreements and a new National Scholarship Programme. Universities plan to spend over £670 million in 2016/17 on measures to widen participation through their access agreements. To make sure that we are doing everything possible to widen participation and promote fair access BIS Ministers asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) to develop a shared strategy for access and student success which will include advice to ensure we achieve the maximum impact from spending by Government, HEFCE and institutions. HEFCE and OFFA are due to deliver the strategy in autumn 2013.