Top Up Fees And The Scottish Interest

EDM number 388 in 2003-04, proposed by Annabelle Ewing on 12/01/2004.

That this House notes the divisions in the Labour and Conservative parties between their Westminster and Scottish Parliament representatives on the issue of variable top-up fees at English universities; observes that the Labour honourable Member for Falkirk West called for the introduction of top-up fees in Scotland on the basis that 'There will be a funding disparity, and I think that will have to be made up by the students who can afford it' (BBC Scotland TV, 7th January), while the Scottish First Minister, Mr Jack McConnell, said that 'There is not going to be a funding gap between Scottish universities and higher education, and English universities and higher education' (The Scotsman, 8th January); further notes that the Conservative Party's Enterprise Spokesman in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Murdo Fraser MSP, said that 'The simplest solution is to stop top-up fees in their tracks. Then there will no knock-on effect in Scotland' (The Scotsman, 8th January), while the Conservatives' sole Scottish honourable Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale is refusing to help stop top-up fees in their tracks since he proposes to abstain on the issue; and believes that the Scottish interest requires every single honourable Member representing a Scottish constituency to vote against variable top-up fees when the matter comes before the House.

This motion has been signed by a total of 5 MPs.