Doubts over new private university expansion plan

Doubts hang over the plans to open up the UK'S university sector to a new wave of private providers.

There are repor ts that higher education reforms in their current form might not be put forward as legislation.

The Daily Telegraph repor ted on Tuesday that a Higher Education Bill was set to be dropped or delayed

and would not be par t of the government's legislative programme in the Queen's Speech

The UCU lecturers' union supported the delay to plans which they said would have "allowed for-profit

companies increased access to UK higher education and taxpayers' money".

"The extension of university title to private providers and non-teaching organisations was always going to be contentious, and risks undermining the reputation of UK higher education and our ability to trade internationally," said chief executive Pam Tatlow.

But the National Union of Students accused the government of a "hit and run" - with major changes being made without parliamentary scrutiny.

"Having lost the battle of public opinion over the trebling of tuition fees, the government is clearly not up for another public battle on its plans to sell off our education and will look to do it in private and under the radar instead," said NUS president Liam Burns.

Delaying legislation would not affect established private providers, such as BPP University

College, which already have degree-awarding powers and whose students are eligible for student loans.

Many of the major changes in higher education are already in place, such as raising tuition fees