Gordon Brown refuses to meet disabled students

The Prime Minister's refusal to meet disabled students who are campaigning to save a development at their college has been branded a "disgrace".

Gordon Brown was tackled in the Commons over the withdrawal of Government funding, which threatens a planned major revamp of the National Star College.

He was called on to meet a delegation by Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, but this was rejected by Mr Brown who instead offered talks with a middle-ranking Minister.

The blow came as students from the college travelled to Parliament yesterday, to appeal against the loss of funding.

Staff and students at the Ullenwood college were devastated when the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) made a U-turn to provide £15.1 million for much-needed facilities for severely disabled people.

The LSC, which had agreed the grant in principle in 2006, announced last week it was withdrawing the offer following a review.

Raising the issue at weekly Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Clifton-Brown said: "Is the Prime Minister aware that some of the finest residential training for severely disabled people has been put in jeopardy by the decision of the Learning and Skills Council not to fund the expansion of the National Star College in my constituency?

"Would the Prime Minister agree to meet a delegation of some of the disabled students, some of the principals of the college, and myself to discuss the unique situation of this college and to see if there is a solution to this problem?"

But Mr Brown (pictured) said: "I have to say we have set aside £2.3 billion for investment in further education colleges over this spending review, we put an additional £300 million into that in the budget. I shall get the further Education Colleges Minister to meet him about this but we have put £300 million extra into the investment in capital buildings as a result of the budget."

His refusal to meet led to a point of order being raised with the Commons Speaker.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Clifton-Brown said: "I think it was a shameful reply of the Prime Minister to refuse to meet the delegation. It's a disgrace.

He added: "This is a national college, and so this decision affects the UK. The benefit they are getting from the college in terms of independent living is absolutely fantastic and to put that in jeopardy is shameful."

The college has already completed the first two phases of the work using £2 million of Government money and £2 million of its own to provide a new 10 bedroom accommodation unit, road access and car parking in preparation for the next phases.

It had hoped to start work on providing new buildings for education, therapy and life skills, as well as improving its medical centre in March, at a cost of £10.5 million.

Ben Mogi, aged 19, a sports student at National Star College, was among those to travel to Westminster to appeal against the withdrawal of cash for the scheme.

He said: "We want this to improve the therapy facilities and also to bring more students into the college from around Britain. It helps us with our independence and getting on with our life more."

Kathryn Rudd, deputy principal at the college, said: "We want to persuade the Government to honour the funding commitment it made to the organisation. The value of the work we are doing can't be underestimated."

Tory prospective Parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham Mark Coote said: "They have fulfilled their side of the bargain to the letter, and now to be left high and dry is a dereliction of the duty of govern- ment."