HC Deb 11 March 1965 vol 708 cc615-6
26. Mr. Maxwell

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the comparative costs of teaching and research per undergraduate and post-graduate student in universities in the United Kingdom; and how these costs compare with those in the United States of America, France and West Germany.

Mr. Crosland

Expenditure returns from universities do not distinguish between teaching and research or between undergraduate and postgraduate work; nor is such information readily available about this break-down of expenditure in other countries. Table 17 in Appendix Five to the Report of the Robbins Committee gives certain com- parative figures of public expenditure in relation to the number of students in higher education as a whole, for Britain, the United States, and West Germany. No figures are given for France.

Mr. Maxwell

I accept my right hon. Friend's reasons for the difficulty of finding these numbers and statistics. However, is he aware that the University Grants Committee was charged to maintain a department which would procure this information and that it has divested itself of this responsibility? Would my right hon. Friend reimpose upon it—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—the need to obtain this information? Would he further consult—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—his right hon. Friend in the Foreign Office to assist in the obtaining of this information which would be—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—of considerable value to enable university vice-chancellors in this country to compare their costs with those of like universities abroad?

Mr. Crosland

Despite the noise of hon. Members opposite, I personally have a great deal of sympathy with what my hon. Friend is saying. It is absolutely vital that we should get our university expansion at the cheapest reasonable cost per student that we can. While the University Grants Committee is still doing a great deal of research and investigation into comparative costs, I shall try to get any further information I can glean from the Foreign Office or anywhere else.

Sir E. Boyle

This is a serious matter. While always being chary of imposing, in the hon. Gentleman's words, anything on the University Grants Committee, will the right hon. Gentleman explain that this is a matter about which there is widespread interest and even concern and that the more information, the better?

Mr. Crosland

Yes, Sir.