Lords to debate Economic Affairs Committee’s post-school education report

On Wednesday 16 January 2019 members of the House of Lords will debate the Economic Affairs Committee’s report, Treating Students Fairly: The Economics of Post-School Education, which was published in June 2018.

The report considers post-school education, including the prioritisation of full-time undergraduate degrees over other forms of higher and further education, the decline of part-time and flexible study, recent reforms to apprenticeships, and the treatment of student loans in the public accounts. 

In December the Office for National Statistics followed the report’s recommendation in deciding that the expected write-offs on student loans should be recognised upfront in the national accounts, rather than at the end of the 30-year loan term.

The debate will be held in the House of Lords Chamber and opened by the Committee’s Chairman, Lord Forsyth of Drumlean. 

Members scheduled to speak include former education ministers Lord Baker of Dorking and Lord Willets, LSE Professor Lord Layard, Cambridge University Fellow Baroness Smith of Newnham and Labour Education Spokesperson Lord Watson of Invergowrie.

Viscount Younger of Leckie will respond on behalf of the Government.

The debate is expected to start at some point after 3.30pm on Wednesday 16 January 2019.