§ 5. Mr. Hugo Swire (East Devon)If he will make a statement on student debt in Wales. [53148]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Don Touhig)My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet regularly with colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including student finance.
§ Mr. SwireStudent debt has doubled since Labour came to power in Wales. Since the establishment of the Welsh Assembly, and with the support of the Liberal Democrats, the situation has deteriorated further. Is that appalling record the fault of the Welsh Assembly or is it something for which the Government are prepared to take the blame?
§ Mr. TouhigThe hon. Gentleman must have forgotten that when his party was in power there was a considerable problem of student debt. We have reformed the whole system of student loans, making it much easier for students to access funds, and we have related the repayment to their earnings. The Government, working in partnership with the National Assembly, are aiming at their target, which is to increase the number of people entering higher education. The Government whom the hon. Gentleman supported never succeeded in doing that; we are going to achieve it. We will achieve it quite soon.