A controversial Bill published today allowing universities to charge tuition fees of up to £3,000 a year has received a mixed response from the district's MPs.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh (Lab) and Keighley MP Ann Cryer (Lab) were among the 159 Labour rebels who opposed the top-up fee motion planned for the Higher Education Bill last year.

The reform package looks set for a stormy ride at Westminster and Prime Minister Tony Blair could face a Commons defeat.

Currently, annual tuition fees of £1,125 have to be paid while studying but the Higher Education Bill would, from 2006, allow universities to charge variable tuition fees of up to £3,000 a year, repayable when graduates start earning £15,000 a year or more. Concessions could be revealed to get the Bill through the Commons.

These could include writing off the debt after 25 years, bigger grants for poorer students or a national bursary scheme.

Mrs Cryer said: "I am opposed to the bill as it stands and am not likely to change my mind.

"Education Secretary Charles Clarke has put in a number of sweeteners which I agree with but I do not see the connection between those and the issue of variable fees.

"There are good elements to the bill but the variable fees are the real sticking point for me.

"I think variable fees will cause problems for poorer students as well as problems for some universities."

Mr Singh said he feared £3,000 could be "the thin end of the wedge" and that fees could escalate.

Bradford North Labour MP Terry Rooney, however, said: "In principle I support the bill and variable top-up fees, but we need to look at doing more to support poorer students with maintenance grants."

Shipley MP Chris Leslie (Lab) said: "I support the Government in its general approach to the matter.

"We pay money for education through taxation but I don't think it's unreasonable that graduates who generally go on to have higher salaries should make an individual contribution."

Tory MP David Curry, who represents Skipton, branded the scheme "ill-conceived" and said it would not tackle the multi-million pound cash shortfall crippling higher education.

Mr Curry said: "Top-up fees do not go anywhere near meeting the financial needs of universities yet they will come at the price of more Government interference in universities.