§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to reform the procedures relating to the repayment of student loans. [31492]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Government have accepted the Dearing Committee's recommendation that student loan repayments should be made on an income-contingent basis and collected, where possible, through the tax system. New arrangements are being introduced for students entering higher education in Autumn 1998 and after. Students with loans under the current scheme will continue to repay them on the existing basis.
Detailed information about the new arrangements is set out in the "Progress Report on New Student Support Arrangements in Higher Education from 1998/99" copies of which are in the Library.