Downing Street Says » Tuition fees

» Thursday, November 25, 2010

Tuition fees

Asked if the Prime Minister expected the whole of the Front Bench to support the vote on tuition fees, the PMS said that the timing of the vote had not been fixed yet. The Coalition Agreement had made a provision for Liberal Democrats to abstain on this particular issue.

On whether the Prime Minister was aware of what the Deputy Prime Minister intended to do on the issue, the PMS said that he was sure there were discussions between the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister on this kind of issue.

Asked whether a Liberal Democrat Minister could vote against rather than just abstaining, the PMS said that it was a hypothetical question. We did not know when the vote was and the Coalition Agreement stated that an arrangement would be made for Liberal Democrat MPs to abstain.

Put that the usual conditions would apply if a Minister vote against a three line Whip, the PMS said that a Coalition document had set out the working arrangements of the Coalition, stating that Ministers would be bound by collective responsibility, but the Coalition Agreement and the provisions in it also applied.

Asked if the vote would take place before Christmas, the PMS said that that was his expectation.

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