Plenary, 21 Jun 2001
Meeting date: Thursday, June 21, 2001
Official Report
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Parliamentary Bureau Motions
Motions moved,
That the Parliament agrees that the following instruments be approved:
the draft Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to Scottish Ministers etc) (No 2) Order 2001; and
the draft Consumer Protection Act 1987 (Product Liability) (Modification) (Scotland) Order 2001.—[Euan Robson.]
That the Parliament agrees that the draft Graduate Endowment (Scotland) Regulations 2001 be approved.—[Euan Robson.]
The Graduate Endowment (Scotland) Regulations 2001 flesh out the skeletal terms of the Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Act 2001. However, they are neither benign nor benevolent; they represent the imposition of a tuition fee at the end rather than at the beginning of a course of study. The SNP's position has been quite clear and consistent. A tuition fee is a tuition fee whether it is paid at the beginning or at the end of a course, and whether or not it has been renamed a graduate endowment.
It is a retrograde step. The price will be paid by individual students in years to come and by the nation collectively as we provide a disincentive for people, especially from disenfranchised backgrounds, to proceed to higher education. Finally, it is shameful that members, especially on the Labour benches, who benefited so much individually, and members—especially on the Liberal Democrat benches—who have preached so much about education should impose this iniquitous tax on each and every student who will go forward to study. I oppose the regulations.
I must apologise to Miss Annabel Goldie. I am allowed to take only one speaker in this debate. I call Alasdair Morrison to respond.
I have had the pleasure of listening to Mr MacAskill's speech six times now, and I can assure him that the sixth rendition is no better than were the first, second, third, fourth or fifth.
The Graduate Endowment (Scotland) Regulations 2001 govern the arrangements for the payment of the endowment and make provision for loans to be made available to graduates to discharge their liability. By using the existing income-contingent student loans scheme, we can ensure that no graduate will face a monthly deduction from their income to repay a loan for living costs and an additional monthly deduction for the graduate endowment.
The graduate endowment is an integral part of the new student support arrangements. Those arrangements were developed as a result of an independent inquiry and wide-ranging consultation to provide improved support that is better targeted at those who need it most. By paying the graduate endowment, graduates are contributing towards the support of future generations of students. The request is reasonable, and will help to ensure that the benefits of higher education are extended to those who have traditionally been excluded from advanced learning.
We have also made a commitment that no student will face more debt as a result of the introduction of the new student support arrangements, and that includes those who will be liable to pay the endowment when they graduate. That guarantee can be kept because we have developed efficient administrative arrangements as laid out in the regulations. They make effective use of existing resources without adding layers of bureaucracy, which will be fair because they will exempt those who have traditionally been excluded from advanced learning.
The Parliament has now debated the issue on a number of occasions. As I said, I have had the pleasure of listening to Mr MacAskill's speech six times. I remind him that on each occasion, the Parliament has agreed to our proposals. On that basis, I urge the Parliament to approve the draft Graduate Endowment (Scotland) Regulations 2001.