§ Lord Alderdiceasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they support proposals to allow universities to impose fees on students in addition to Her Majesty's Government's proposed tuition fees.
§ The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone)We have made clear that access to higher education should be on the basis of academic merit, not ability to pay, and that top-up fees for home and EU full-time undergraduate and PGCE students play no part in the Government's plans. The Teaching and Higher Education Bill makes provision for a reserve power to control top-up fees, if necessary. We have undertaken to clarify the relevant clause through appropriate amendment at Committee stage with a view to ensuring that our intentions on the scope of the clause are clear.