§ 7. Mrs. Hartasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the University Grants Committee has drawn his attention to the present levels of payment for postgraduate student demonstrators; and if these were taken into account in the last quinquennial review.
§ Mr. BarberNo, Sir.
Payments to the category of persons whom I imagine the hon. Lady has in mind do not, I understand, enter as a separate item into the University Grants Committee's decision as to allocation of money made available for university grants but are a matter for the university concerned.
§ Mrs. HartIs there not a Government responsibility here, since the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research says that proper payment should be made to student demonstrators? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the rate has not been increased for the last 12 years?
§ Mr. BarberWith respect, I think that the hon. Lady will find, when she looks into it, that there is, in fact, no Government responsibility here. The University Grants Committee does not recommend or lay down rates of payment for these people or, indeed, for any university staff except teachers. Payments to the sort of people the hon. Lady has in mind would be covered in a general way by the recurrent grants but are not specifically identified in applications for or approvals of grants.