Oral Answers to Questions

David Chadwick Excerpts

Monday 2nd March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

We will set much clearer overall expectations of local authorities, not least given the huge grant funding investment to bring down their deficits. With that money must come better outcomes for children. That is also true of the independent specialist sector. Although it offers much fantastic provision and caters well for children with complex needs, I am afraid that we cannot continue along this path of allowing money meant for education to be sucked into fuelling the profits of private equity.

[David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)]

8. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the student loan system.

[Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)]

21. What steps her Department is taking to improve the student loans system.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)]

We will consider ways to make the student loan system fairer, as the Prime Minister said last week. This Government have already reintroduced maintenance grants and raised the repayment threshold to above average graduate salaries, and we are acting across the board on the cost of living by bringing down inflation and tackling transport, energy and rental costs.

[David Chadwick]

Many graduates feel as if they are drowning in debt and that they were sold a promise—that a university education would help them to pay off their debts quickly—which has not come true. Their debts continue to mount. Will the Government consider scrapping the planned freeze of the repayment threshold?