The Labour Party debate on higher education funding must move on from tuition fees, according to the universities secretary.

John Denham told activists at a Campaign for Mainstream Universities fringe event that the government would not be discussing fees until 2009 because many important questions had "got lost" in the last debate.

"There is a real danger that it becomes the dominant issue in the debate," he said.

Joined by a panel including Barry Sheerman, the chairman of the Commons education committee, and National Union of Students president Gemma Tumelty, Denham said his party's debate should focus on how to "nurture talent".

Stressing the need to get older people back into university, he said the government had a "public interest" in the education system.

"We want to have a world class education system in this country that is able to compare well with the rest of the world," Denham added.

Sheerman - who commended the government's record on education, particularly the amount of "taxpayers' treasure" it had invested in universities - said he expected Denham to be very good for the new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.