Gordon Brown has met Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Colin Lucas in a bid to make up over the Laura Spence affair, writes Bill Jacobs.

A row broke out after the Chancellor of the Exchequer attacked Magdalen College for refusing to accept the teenager to study medicine.

Meanwhile, Dr Lucas was due to be quizzed today by MPs on the House of Commons Education Committee about admissions policy.

Mr Brown said that it was an "absolute disgrace" that the state school pupil was rejected by Oxford. Few details of the meeting between the Chancellor and Dr Lucas were available, but Westminster sources confirmed it had taken place.

The news emerged as Oxford West and Abingdon MP Evan Harris attacked the Government for refusing to apologise for what he saw as an unjustified slur.

Dr Lucas and a team of Oxford dons were today appearing before the House of Commons Education Committee to be quizzed about the University's admission policy. But committee chairman Barry Sheerman wants to widen the inquiry into a general assessment of how people from state schools and disadvantaged families fare in higher education.

One committee source said: "We want to find out if there are young people struggling to get three Bs at A-Level against the odds at inner city comprehensives who have a talent to benefit more from going to Oxford than others who cruise to three As at expensive private schools."