Tory plan to widen 'pupil passports'

A future Tory government may give parents money to help them send their children to independent schools, shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin said today.

The move would be a significant, but controversial, extension of the "pupil passports" scheme which would give parents the value of a state school place for their child - currently around £3,500 - and allow them to "spend" it wherever they wanted in the state system.

Previously, the Tories have said parents would not be able to use this money towards fees at an independent school. But today, in an interview, Mr Letwin said this could be allowed at independent schools where fees were only slightly higher than £3,500 a year.

He said: "That is an area we are currently looking at. We do not envisage it being used for Eton. We are clear that you will not be able to use the passport as a contribution to an expensive public school."

The Shadow Cabinet is understood to be split over the idea, which runs the risk of associating the Tories with the failings of the former Assisted Places Scheme, abolished by Labour in 1997.