Lib Dems question SNPs commitment to students (Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats)

Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats <info@aberdeensouthlibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dems question SNPs commitment to students

December 15, 2008 3:14 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Margaret Smith MSP has welcomed the inclusion of minimum income guarantees in the Scottish Government's consultation on student support, but questioned why the SNP is only proposing raising it to £5,500 rather than £7,000.

A Liberal Democrat amendment calling for minimum income guarantees to be consulted upon was backed by the Scottish Parliament.Margaret Smith MSP

Mrs Smith also raised concern that the consultation suggested that the SNP was preparing to ditch yet another promise to students - replacing the student loan system with a grants system.

Commenting, Mrs Smith said:

"Although we're pleased that the SNP is consulting on minimum income guarantees, as called for by the Liberal Democrats, we are concerned their current plans don't go far enough.

"According to the consultation paper, the SNP is only prepared to consider increasing students' minimum income to £5,000 or £5,500 for the worst off. This is only £500 more than the current guarantee and falls some way short of the £7000 that the National Union of Students has called for.

"Instead of 'dumping the debt', as promised to students during the 2007 election campaign, the SNP dumped its promises to students.

"The wording of the consultation also suggests that the SNP is preparing to blame the UK Government for yet another ditched student promise - scrapping the student loan system."

Notes:

Minimum Income:

The Liberal Democrat amendment was passed on 28 February 2008, the text is below:

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale) (LD), as an amendment to motion S3M-1367 in the name of Fiona Hyslop; insert at end: "and in so doing, calls on the Scottish Ministers, when taking forward their consultation on student support later this year, to consider a number of wider options to improve financial support for students including specific reference to the development of a new student minimum income guarantee"

The consultation promises:

"By investing the £30 million in a new grant, over and above the current support, we could increase the 'minimum income' level to just over £5,500 for those from lowest incomes, compared to around £5,100 now. This would increase the general 'minimum income' to around £5,000 (compared to £4,510). Due to the income assessment, the main beneficiaries from this increase would be those on lower incomes."

Shifting the blame:

The consultation lays the foundation for blaming Westminster for yet another broken promise:

"As a result of the complexities of the loans system and the role of HM Treasury in providing funding for loan advances, the Scottish Government does not have full control over the whole student support budget. If we did have such control then we would have far greater flexibility over the funding available, making it easier for us to move to a full grants system more quickly.

. . .The reality though is that we have to work within the framework we have inherited, as part of the devolution settlement and within the financial and political restrictions placed upon us, to deliver the best deal possible for students."