BOLTON Institute chiefs will "not be rushing" to increase tuition charges if the Government's controversial plans for top-up fees go ahead.

In response to the plans to allow universities to charge up to £3,000 a year, Principal Mollie Temple said the institute was in no hurry to implement any possible increases.

"The choice will be for each institution to decide what it wants to do about its fees," said Miss Temple.

"We are obviously looking at our programmes and our fees, but at the moment we will not be rushing to increase our fees."

Miss Temple said they would not draw up detailed plans about programmes and fees until the Higher Education Bill - which would introduce the top-up fees - is passed by Parliament.

But she said what other institutions decide to do would have an effect on the institute's plans.

Miss Temple, along with Bolton's MPs Brian Iddon and David Crausby, has said she is "very against" the policy of allowing universities to charge different fees.

It would mean about half of the institutions would not receive any more money, she warned.

Miss Temple said: "The Government's policy is to get more money into higher education by allowing institutions to charge higher fees.

"If you are in an institute that won't charge higher fees on principle, or if you are in an institute which is not the most attractive to students, you wouldn't charge higher fees."

Miss Temple said that if top-up fees are approved, she does not anticipate that it would lead to a drop in numbers at the Institute.

Under the plans, which would be introduced in 2006, universities would be able to charge students anything up to £3,000 a year. Currently, students have to find up to £1,125 a year before they can attend university.

The Government will pay universities the fee and claim it back later once graduates are earning more than £15,000 a year.

The poorest undergraduates will be entitled to grants of up of £1,500, and the amount of student loans available would also be increased.

The Government has said the plans are necessary because universities need an extra £10 billion to make up for years of underfunding, and because it wants half of the population under the age of 30 to take a higher education course by 2010.