<p>Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 1:51 pm on 4 October 2017.

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Photo of Michelle Brown Michelle Brown UKIP 1:51, 4 October 2017

Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. According to figures given by the BBC earlier this year, student debt in Wales is estimated to be about £3.7 billion, with the average graduate debt in Wales already approximately just over £19,000. That was before you effectively forced Welsh students to get into further debt. You can say that the debts are incurred in return for the so-called graduate premium, but let’s remember that those graduates are going to be paying tax through the nose in later life like the rest of us, so it’s rather a red herring. As I’ve said, you decided to jack up the debts of Welsh students even further. They’re going to end up with debts the size of a mortgage, and it will take years to pay off just as they’re starting out in life. Do you think this helps the Welsh economy and, if so, how?