EDUCATION BILL LIVE BLOG

by Paul Goodman

12.15pm: Business Questions is just ending.  The Commons is waiting for the debate to begin.  David T.C. Davies is asking a question about Coronation Street.  George Young will be pleased that it isn't a student finance question from David Davis, who's said that he'll be voting against the Government today.  There's been quite a lot of not-so-gentle warming up for Liberal Democrat bashing from the Labour benches.

12.18pm: So what do we know to date?  That David Willetts has told Laura Kuenssberg that he believes the bill will pass.  That Don Foster says he's now "likely" to vote with the Government.  That Peter Bone believes that the Liberal Democrat U-turn is "bad for politics", and may not support the bill.  That the Whips have been "turning the screws".  That the amendment to delay the vote won't be called - and that, according to Paul Waugh, "Speaker Bercow has ruled there will be no vote on 3 amendments to tuition fees. So no delay: it's either Yes or No or Abstain".

12.27pm: Cable on his feet.

12.39pm: Cable has just said that he'll "finish this section and then take an intervention".  He was jeered shortly after the start of his speech for saying that he'd give way "when I have developed an argument".  To date, he has attacked - a graduate tax, other possible alternatives - rather than defended the Government's policy.

12.40pm: Cable takes intervention.

12.41pm: Sceptical question from John Baron on the Conservative benches.

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