Conservatives happy to see students burdened with "lifetime debt"

3.35.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 31st Mar 2005

Local Liberal Democrats have today called upon David Davies, Conservative AM for Monmouth to say where he stands on top-up tuition fees after making comments which put him at odds with his own party's policy.

Phil Hobson, for the Liberal Democrats was responding to comments by David Davies, in the Western Mail, in which he commented that "in one form or another we will have to introduce charges in Wales".

Phil Hobson said, "David Davies is the Conservatives Education spokesman in Wales and his comments today now show they the Conservatives have abandoned their policy on the eve of the general election. They are now happy to see our future doctors and engineers burdened with lifetime debt. They have given up the fight to scrap top up and tuition fees but the Liberal Democrats have not."

"There is a General Election imminent and at least one Party is pledging to scrap the student fee regime altogether and fund Higher Education from general taxation instead. That party is the Liberal Democrats, and the comments from David Davies confirm that we are the only UK Party prepared to fight against a tax of learning and the burden of huge, life-long debt on young people."

Phil Hobson added, "The Conservatives have now joined with the Labour Party position on student finance - happy to see students and the future of our country leaving university with debts at a minimum of £15,000. Instead of creating a culture of lifetime debt, David Davies should support the lib Dems in campaigning to invest in our country's future."