§ 21. Mrs. Betty WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her plans to widen participation in higher education. [891]
§ Margaret HodgeWidening participation is a key goal for this Government We want half of all young people to have the opportunity to benefit from higher education by the end of the decade. In this spending review the Higher Education Funding Council for England have allocated £550 million to widen participation over the next three years. In addition the Excellence Challenge will put £90 million into schools and further education colleges. We shall continue to consider what further steps we need to take to tackle the barriers that inhibit the widening of participation in higher education.