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Sale of Student Loans Bill

We could certainly do that. I hesitate, as a good West Riding man, to take help from Harrogate in any form—it is usually class-biased, in my view. Money could be paid to the university, but we are talking about a debt incurred by the student, which they have to bear, and with which they should be helped. Ideally, they should all qualify for means-tested fees, as my generation did. The Government say that we cannot afford that, which is probably true. We cannot afford to finance with grants some 46 per cent. of the population going on to higher education. Only 4 per cent. of my generation did, and we all got grants. I had lots of doubts about kicking away that ladder, but having kicked it away, we have to try to help the students. Does the hon. Gentleman think that a burden of 4.8 per cent. is acceptable for students to carry? I do not know. I would be interested to hear the views of the Liberal Democrats on that. It is too high and too heavy. Something should be done about it, and I hope that the Government will. I am sorry for the diversion into the realms in which I have just been wandering, but we should think seriously as a Government and as a party about following the New Zealand example and writing off the interest payment for students.