Diana Warwick

Iain Duncan Smith has challenged the prime minister to say whether the government intends to introduce top-up fees for students attending elite universities.

The opposition leader told MPs on Wednesday that the new education secretary, Charles Clarke, had publicly refused to rule out the introduction of student top-up fees (differential fees) despite a manifesto pledge not to do so.

Tony Blair said the government would honour its manifesto commitment.

Forum Response: Universities UK

Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK, said: "It is vital that we look at the effect on all universities of any deregulation of the sector that may be proposed in the government's strategy document.

"Differential fees may be one of the options, and universities are prepared to have that debate to ensure that all the implications of deregulation are examined in full.

"Universities are concerned that there be an appropriate mix of public and private funding for the sector but it's clear that income raised by tuition fees alone would not meet the needs of the sector as a whole.

"Substantial public funding is necessary to meet the £9.94 billion additional investment needed in higher education which we identified in our submission to the government's spending review."