Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Phil Willis was amongst the first group of MPs to be called to to ask a question at Prime Ministers Question Time by new Speaker John Bercow.
“There is an increase in applications to higher education from groups such as young black males who have traditionally not applied” said Phil Willis, “but the Government is planning to reduce the number of planned additional places from 15,000 to 3,000.
“Up to 30,000 students may be disappointed” he added.
“The Prime Minister has assured me that he will look at the figures that I raised. I welcome this response because, as I said in the House, ‘Is it not better to invest in people in higher education than to invest in them on the dole queues?’
ENDS

Editors Notes:
The full text of Phil Willis’s question and the Prime Minister’s response:
Q9.    [281814] Mr. Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (LD): May I say to the Prime Minister that this year’s 10 per cent. increase in applications to higher education is a massive cause for celebration? The fact that the major increases are particularly among young black males, students over 40 and people in lower socio-economic groups is a double cause for celebration. Will the Prime Minister therefore say why the planned 15,000 extra higher education places were cut to 10,000 last year and are now being cut to 3,000? Is it not better to invest in people in higher education than to invest in them on the dole queues?
The Prime Minister: We want more people to be able to go to university. If there are more applications this year, we must look at that very carefully. I shall look at what the hon. Gentleman says about the numbers, and I know that the Business Secretary is looking at what can be done. We want to give this year’s school leavers a guarantee that they will also have opportunities, and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is taking action to ensure that opportunities are available to every school leaver this summer.