BBC NEWS: "Tony Blair has scraped home by just five votes in a crunch House of Commons test of his controversial plans to introduce university top-up fees.
The Higher Education Bill was backed by 316 votes to 311 after days of intense campaigning by ministers and rebels.
Mr Blair had staked his authority on winning the vote, which was widely seen as his biggest test as prime minister.
It provides a boost hours before Lord Hutton's verdict on the death of Iraq weapons expert Dr David Kelly. "