Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Graham of Edmonton (Labour). It was answered on Monday, 13 June 2005.

Universities: Access Regulation

Question: My Lords, I speak as the first and still the only Member of Parliament to be given a degree by the Open University. Everything that the Minister has said is not challenged, but he fails to address the central point of the Question, which is a comparison, not with 1997, which is valid, but with the changes in funding for full-time students and part-time students. Will he take it from me that there is a growing resentment, at least in the Open University and others, that by comparison with those for full-time students the institutions for part-time students have got the dirty end of the stick?

Answer: My Lords, I do of course appreciate the strength of feeling on this issue. We will keep the issue under review. As my noble friend will know, the regime applying to part-time students is one of the factors to which the Director of Fair Access must pay regard. However, I am delighted to say that the number of undergraduate students in the Open University has, under this Labour Government, increased from 114,000 to 151,000. So my noble friend may not be in good company in this House, but he is in very good company outside it.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 672 c1063
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Access Higher education Part-time education Universities Students Office for Fair Access