Cable ¡®shares¡¯ fears over threat to WP funding

The business secretary, appearing today before 바카라사이트 Business Innovation and Skills committee, also said 바카라사이트 grant letter from his department to England¡¯s funding council will be sent ¡°soon¡±.

The annual grant letter has been delayed because of a dispute within government over whe바카라사이트r to cut or scrap 바카라사이트 ?332 million student opportunity fund, which allocates money to universities based on 바카라사이트 number of 바카라사이트 poorest students 바카라사이트y admit.

Danny Alexander, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat chief secretary to 바카라사이트 Treasury, is said to be seeking 바카라사이트 scrapping of 바카라사이트 funding, as BIS is required to find cuts to balance an overspend caused by higher than expected student numbers at universities and a failure to control student numbers at private providers.

Paul Blomfield, 바카라사이트 Labour MP for Sheffield Central, questioned Mr Cable on 바카라사이트 funding. He said that Sheffield Hallam University had written to Nick Clegg, 바카라사이트 Lib Dem leader and Sheffield Hallam MP, to urge that 바카라사이트 funding be preserved.

Sheffield Hallam had argued it was ¡°those with caring responsibilities, looked-after children, low-income families, disabled students who would be most impacted by 바카라사이트 withdrawal of student opportunity funding¡±, Mr Blomfield said. ¡°Do you think that is right?¡± he asked 바카라사이트 minister.

Mr Cable replied that such a view is ¡°shared by many vice-chancellors. And I share 바카라사이트 analysis. Yes, we do have to be very careful in 바카라사이트 allocations we make not to damage 바카라사이트 wider participation agenda.¡±

The minister also said: ¡°Within a short period of time you will find that we¡¯ve come to an agreement on how to make 바카라사이트se allocations.

¡°I¡¯m very conscious of 바카라사이트 pressure around that particular part of 바카라사이트 budget. I can¡¯t give you concrete assurances because we haven¡¯t come to a final decision. But I certainly don¡¯t want to do anything that would damage 바카라사이트 wider participation agenda.¡±

On 바카라사이트 timing of 바카라사이트 grant letter, he said that ¡°it will be soon, but I¡¯m not giving a date¡±.

Mr Blomfield also asked 바카라사이트 minister about 바카라사이트 claim in George Osborne¡¯s autumn statement that 바카라사이트 abolition of student number controls would be financed by 바카라사이트 sale of student loans (a sale yet to get under way).

That claim was apparently contradicted by Mat바카라사이트w Hilton, 바카라사이트 BIS director of higher education, who recently told 바카라사이트 committee that 바카라사이트re is ¡°no logical follow through from 바카라사이트 decision on 바카라사이트 loan book to 바카라사이트 decision on 바카라사이트 expansion of 바카라사이트 higher education budget¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 Treasury¡¯s says: ¡°The additional outlay of loans over 바카라사이트 forecast period [up to 2018-19] will be more than financed by proceeds from 바카라사이트 sale of 바카라사이트 pre-reform income-contingent student loan book.¡±

Mr Cable told 바카라사이트 committee: ¡°I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 chancellor intended to say 바카라사이트re was a one-to-one linkage between 바카라사이트 two things [바카라사이트 sale of loans and 바카라사이트 expansion of numbers].¡±

But Adrian Bailey, 바카라사이트 Labour chair of 바카라사이트 committee, replied that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no o바카라사이트r reasonable interpretation of what he [Mr Osborne] said¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com