Education payment: MP pleads for 'adult debate' over cash for pupils

David Ward, Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, has criticised the coalition's decision to scrap the 30-a-week Education Maintenance Allowance and warned the Government not simply to criticise everything Labour did.

But ahead of a House of Commons debate tomorrow on the scrapping of the EMA, he accused Labour of instinctively "condemning" everything the coalition was trying to do and appealed for a more constructive approach on both sides.

Mr Ward described the coalition's plan to better target support as "inadequate" but accepted there was a case for a smaller scaling back of the current scheme. "I'm just sorry there can't be a more grown up debate about what that position should be," he added.

The Government says the allowance was expensive – costing more than 560m a year – and poorly targeted, and has promised a smaller amount of money which college principals will be able to distribute themselves.

But Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham will tomorrow lead a Commons debate where Labour will attack the plan, with MPs taking part in a non-binding vote at the end.

Mr Ward said it was "bizarre" to withdraw the allowance after Business Secretary Vince Cable introduced measures to protect young people from low income families from tuition fee increases.

Jason McCartney, Tory MP for Colne Valley, said: "With 78 per cent of students at Kirklees College receiving EMA it demonstrates it's no longer just helping those that really need it."