The "lion's share" of revenue generated by increased tuition fees must be spent on poorer students, the education secretary has argued.

Speaking yesterday, Charles Clarke said that the increased finance could be used to help with living costs at elite universities for part-time students, those from ethnic minority backgrounds and the disabled.

However draft regulations for the new Office for Fair Access insisted that covering the fees for poorer students would be "a minimum requirement".

A letter sent to universities by Clarke has suggested that bursaries should be larger than the minimum £300 per year.