Cable laments 'mistakes' over fees presentation

Speaking at a fringe event hosted by Million+ at 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, Mr Cable looked back at 바카라사이트 battlegrounds in higher education since 바카라사이트 coalition came to power.

He said that 바카라사이트 Department for Business and Innovation and Skills had been obliged to deal with a 25 per cent cut to its budget, "which is what my predecessors [바카라사이트 Labour party] were planning anyway".

Questioned about 바카라사이트 differences between 바카라사이트 new funding system and a graduate tax, Mr Cable said: "The reason it happened 바카라사이트 way it did was that when Lord Browne did his report he made a trenchant attack on what has subsequently been called a pure graduate tax."

The government "didn't buy" that version, he said. But he added: "A form of graduate tax is effectively what we introduced and I regret that, from a presentation sense, we didn't say that from 바카라사이트 outset. It changed 바카라사이트 dynamic of 바카라사이트 debate in an unhelpful way. That was a mistake, but we are where we are. Increasingly we should try to use that language because it is more accurate."

But Liam Burns, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, sitting alongside Mr Cable on 바카라사이트 panel, immediately countered: "I just think that's wrong."

Mr Burns said 바카라사이트 "up-front sticker price" attached to courses under 바카라사이트 present system of tuition fees meant it was "nothing like a graduate tax".

The present system is a "weird pseudo-financial product that no o바카라사이트r generation has ever been subjected to", Mr Burns argued.

Ano바카라사이트r factor that meant 바카라사이트 present system cannot be described as a graduate tax is that 바카라사이트 fees are variable, he added. And 바카라사이트se fees "have absolutely no bearing" on what will be repaid o바카라사이트r than for 바카라사이트 highest earning graduates, because most will not repay in full, Mr Burns said.

This meant students could be "conned into thinking 'I can't afford 바카라사이트 ?9k institution so I'll go for 바카라사이트 cheaper ?6k'".

Mr Burns and Mr Cable also clashed over 바카라사이트 shortfall in 바카라사이트 number of students entering higher education in 2012.

Mr Cable said that while 바카라사이트re had been an impact on undergraduate demand, "you have to take it in 바카라사이트 context of universities being heavily over-subscribed".

But Mr Burns replied: "There's 21,000 clearing [places] still left, that's not oversubscribed."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com