Tories attempt to block funding cuts for second degrees

Plans by the Government to cut funding for those hoping to study a second undergraduate degree has been met by opposition from the Conservatives.

The Labour Government wants to remove £100m of funding for graduates embarking on a second degree so that it can be used for students entering university for the first time.

David Willetts, a Conservative spokesman for higher education, described the actions as peculiar.

'It's bizarre that the Government wants to take £100m from them without consulting anybody beforehand,' he said.

He added that those wanting to retrain or be given a 'second chance' would suffer as a result of the move.

Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, stated in September that graduates studying a second degree are not as much of a priority as those just starting university or moving onto higher qualifications.

'It may be appropriate for the employer to pay at least a proportion of the costs of such retraining,' the BBC reports him as noting.

University funding is clearly a topical issue as debates have also been raging in Scotland over the graduate endowment fee.