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By Tony Grew - 30th March 2011
The issue of student tuition fees dominated exchanges between David Cameron and Ed Miliband at prime minister's questions today.
Miliband said more than 80 per cent of universities are opting to charge the maximum £9,000 per year fees.
Cameron said there are "tough rules" that mean universities that charge the top rate can only do so "if they go through a number of steps to prove that they really are improving access to universities".
Milband said Cameron had "reassured people" that there would be a basic threshold of £6,000 and £9,000 would only be charged in "exceptional circumstances".
"I'm afraid, not for the first time, this policy has not been implemented in a competent way," he said.
Miliband then asked for a guarantee that the extra money that will be needed to pay out loans to students "will not come from university budgets or through a reduction in student numbers".
Cameron said Labour introduced tuition fees in the first place and the office of fair access would decide if a university will be allowed to charge £9,000.
Institutions charging the top rate will also have to spend £900 per place on improving access.
"In terms of the additional money that will go into higher education, you are absolutely right - because of the system that we are introducing, we will actually be spending more overall on universities," the prime minister said.
"But the key is this: because of the reductions in spending we are having to make elsewhere, this is the only way to guarantee that we have well-funded universities, well-stocked libraries, well-paid lecturers and good universities to take on the world."
Miliband said universities are worried that Cameron will make further cuts to teaching budgets already slashed by 80 per cent.
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