John Arbuthnott

* John Arbuthnott, principal of Strathclyde University and a leading member of the Dearing committee, has attacked the Government's funding proposals as "more socially regressive" than Dearing's suggestions.

"The committee's favoured option maintained a very important element of public subsidy in the form of the existing arrangements for living costs, which are supportive of needy students," he said.

"The social equity arguments are all rehearsed, and anybody who comes up with another proposal is under an obligation to show where the funding comes from. Our favoured option generates money from year one onwards, and that's why I'm intrigued as to how this hybrid proposal from Government will work," he said.