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Welsh Affairs

I cannot comment on the working arrangements of institutions that are some distance apart. I will leave it up to the hon. Gentleman to make his representations on that in due course. We need to begin to look at the issue of higher education funding in Wales. I believe we should have a British system of higher education funding, and that the correct system for Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland is the graduate tax. I have always favoured that, as I believe that students should make a contribution to their later wealth, that that should be paid at a time when they can afford it, and that it should be linked to their income when they are earning and not to the course they pursue. The graduate tax is a solution that would enhance access to education and links within the United Kingdom, and it would be a British policy of which we could be proud. When we approach the review in 2009, we should put the proposal on the table because higher education institutions in Wales need to know and feel secure about their future funding. They have big investment decisions to make. If they are to base their future position on planned investment, the issue will need to be addressed soon. I should like to say a word about the Conservative position on cross-border services. I know that the hon. Member for Clwyd, West has been vocal about the delivery of such services. I intervened on the Leader of the Opposition during the Queen's Speech debate to ask whether he supported the principle of disallowing Members from Wales and Scotland from voting on what he described as ““English laws””. He replied:"““We support having English votes for English laws, so that when purely English matters are discussed in the House it is Members of Parliament sitting for English seats who have the decisive say””.—[Official Report, 6 November 2007; Vol. 467, c. 18.]" There has been a roaring silence from the Conservative party in Wales on this matter. Conservatives will be even more silent in representing their constituents if they disallow themselves from asking questions in this place about constituents who are treated in hospitals in England such as the Broadgreen, the Christie, and the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt. The fallacious nature of the Conservatives' argument is that there is such a thing as an English-only law. There are no English-only laws in relation to the national health service or higher education. In the United Kingdom, we have an integrated relationship with our neighbouring countries, and it is vital that that relationship is governed well by studied, intelligent links between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Such a structure will deliver good public services for our constituents, and only the Labour party will deliver those services.