A good deal of debate has been focused on the rise in tuition fees for students, somewhat less on another government policy of concern to that age-group: the abolition of Education Maintanance Grants paid to poorer 16 - 19 year olds if they stay in education.

In the Commons today Labour will try to persuade Lib Dem MPs to rebel and defeat the coalition.

Speaking to the Today programme, general secretary of the University and College Union, Sally Hunt argued against cutting something "which is so clearly successful".

But Conservative chairman of the Commons Education Select Committee Graham Stuart told the Today programme that "after the orgy of spending under Labour this government has a diet of nothing but hard choices" and savings have to be made.

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