HC Deb 30 October 1984 vol 65 cc1152-5
11. Mr. Eastham

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans his Department has to review its expenditure policies on higher education in the light of the publication of "Report on Education" No. 100.

13. Dr. Marek

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to review his Department's policies on expenditure on higher education as a result of "Report on Education" No. 100.

15. Mr. James Lamond

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what level of resources lie expects to make available to higher education institutions to meet the level of demand for student places until the end of this decade predicted by his Department's recent "Report on Education" No. 100.

Mr. Brooke

The revised projections of student demand in "Report on Education" No. 100 will be taken into account in the normal course of the Governments annual review of their expenditure plans.

Mr. Eastham

Do not the Minister's figures fail to take into account the growing trend of female students? Is it assumed that there will be no increased participation by female students in the future? Why does the Minister always seem to think that higher education students will come from middle-class families and that there will not be more from working-class families? If the Department's assumption on the figures is found to be wrong, what will the Minister do to put the matter right?

Mr. Brooke

All the comments on the earlier projections were carefully considered and the Department has produced a technical report outlining the changes that have been made as a result. I appreciate that some people may still not be satisfied, but the important thing about those projections is that, because they do not imply any immediate fall in demand, they give us time to plan and consider trends as they emerge before any action is taken. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we shall continue to monitor events as they develop.

Dr. Marek

Is the Minister aware that one comprehensive school in my constituency is being asked to cease teaching physics and to curtail classes in computer science from 1985 onwards? Is the Minister not at all worried about that? If he is, will he give the House an assurance that all children will have full opportunities to take advantage of the policies, such as they are, resulting from the Department of Education and Science "Report on Education" No. 100?

Mr. Brooke

I cannot comment on the particular point that the hon. Gentleman made about his constituency, but I hope that he will write to me about it. Of course, I give an assurance that the initiatives which the Government are taking seek to respond to the demands not only in science, engineering and technology, but in the arts.

Mr. James Lamond

Is it the Minister's intention further to reduce, in relation to the funds provided for universities, the funds for degree students at polytechnics and similar institutions? If that is his intention, will he bear in mind that if our country is ever to prosper we shall need more technically qualified young people?

Mr. Brooke

That matter is not strictly relevant to this question, but my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has now formally consulted the local authority associations about the size of the advanced further education quantum in 1985–86. Although final decisions have not yet been taken on student number targets for that year, present indications are that the 1984–85 planned unit of resource will be broadly maintained in real terms for 1985–86.

Mr. Patrick Thompson

Will my hon. Friend take this opportunity to explain clearly to the House what has actually happened to student numbers since 1979?

Mr. Brooke

In 1983–84 there were 519,000 home students in full-time and sandwich courses in higher education, compared to 455,000 in 1979–80. The numbers of full value award holders have risen in the same proportions.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

Does my hon. Friend accept that on the Conservative Benches there will be a warm welcome for the increased emphasis placed by the Government on technology, science and other allied courses, which are vital to the future economic prosperity of this country, and for the drift away from the humanities, social science and liberal studies? Does my hon. Friend also accept that there is a warm welcome from Conservative Members for the assurance that he gave in the debate on Friday that the Government will look again at the funding of the Open University, which provides such useful opportunities for those who could not take advantage of higher education when they left secondary schools?

Mr. Brooke

I am grateful for what my hon. Friend said about the Government's initiatives in science, engineering and technology. We are considering whether further measures are necessary in preparing our proposals for the future development of higher education. I repeat the assurance that I gave about the Open University in the debate on Friday.

Mr. Radice

In view of the figures from the UGC and UCCA showing that at least 12,000 well qualified students are being turned away from the universities every year —it could be 15,000 this year—what is the proof for the Minister's statement on Friday that all those who are qualified now find places in higher education? Given that the "Report on Education" No. 100 shows that the number of students is likely to rise to a record level at the end of this decade, can the Minister tell the House how that justifies the planned further cuts in the universities' current grant of 0.5 per cent. a year until 1986?

Mr. Brooke

I shall deal first with the hon. Gentleman's second question. The available evidence suggests that qualified candidates continue to be able to find a place somewhere in higher education. If there is evidence of a significant failure in that respect, we shall be prepared to review the position. That is allied to the first question that the hon. Gentleman asked. When I spoke in the House on Friday I said, despite challenges, that no candidates had been brought forward who had been unable to find places, but I acknowledge that some did not take up university places and did not choose to go into the public sector. We are investigating what happened to that group, but those people would have had the opportunity of a place in the public sector.

12. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has received on higher education from the University Grants Committee and the National Advisory Body during the last three months.

Mr. Brooke

My right hon. Friend has received advice from the University Grants Committee and the National Advisory Body for Local Authority Higher Education on the development of a strategy for higher education into the 1990s. The advice has been published and my right hon. Friend will respond to it as early as possible next year.

Mr. Bennett

Does the Minister recall that he initiated this debate about a year ago by asking the UGC and the NAB to consider the implications for higher education if resources were cut by 1 or 2 per cent. per year for the next 10 years, a cut of about 15 per cent.? Does he accept that almost all the evidence received by those two bodies repudiated that approach, as their report now does, and is it not time that the Government repudiated it, too? When the Green Paper is published, will the Government make it clear that they are looking for increased funding for higher education and not for cuts in funding?

Mr. Brooke

My right hon. Friend corresponded with the UGC. He referred to level funding as well as to the postulated cuts to which the hon. Gentleman refers. The Government will consider the advice received, in the normal course of our review of public expenditure. However much one sympathises with particular objectives, our priority must be to control public expenditure and to keep inflation down. My right hon. Friend will hope to make a statement about Government expenditure plans in the normal way later in the year.

Dr. McDonald

Will the Minister make a firm commitment to put more resources into continuing education in view of the rising demand from women and mature students? Will he put that funding into the universities and the Open University as well as other sectors of higher education?

Mr. Brooke

We were most grateful for the advice that we received on continuing education. I have no reservations about its importance or its centrality to the mission of higher education. It is an area, however, in which the prime responsibility for funding must often rest with students and employers.