HC Deb 03 November 1987 vol 121 cc765-6
1. Mr. Bill Michie

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received about the funding of higher education; and if he will make a statement.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Robert Jackson)

My right hon. Friend announced on 14 October a 9 per cent. increase in funding for the polytechnics and colleges in 1988–89. Our expenditure plans for the universities will be announced later today.

Mr. Michie

Is the Minister aware that in unit of resource terms there has been a 20 per cent. decrease for polytechnics since the Conservative Government came to power? If the Minister values the work of the polytechnics and the increase in the number of students, why have there not been additional resources perhaps along the same lines as the increased resources for universities?

Mr. Jackson

The polytechnics and colleges sector now accounts for more than half the students in higher education—more than 300,000. That is a remarkable achievement. The proposed increase of 9 per cent. this year is sufficient to allow for the expansion of access to the level of known demand and to finance the continuing programme of selective initiatives.

Mr. Rhodes James

When will the review of student financing be completed and published?

Mr. Jackson

We hope to complete the work of the review committee early next year. It remains to be decided whether and in what form that will be published.

Mr. Harry Barnes

Is the Minister aware that the formula for responsible bodies' educational provision means that access courses being run in higher education find it difficult to run on a proper basis involving tutorial and seminar provision? Are there any plans to increase the funding available for access courses?

Mr. Jackson

There is a continuing growth of access courses, which we welcome. The Government are committed to increase the number of students in higher education by 50,000 by 1990, and we believe that access courses have an important role to play in that.

Dr Twinn

What representations has my hon. Friend received about the disparity of per capita funding for students in polytechnics and universities? Will he consider reviewing the funding of universities and making the sum that is now available for research in universities open for competition by all bodies of higher education on the basis of the quality of their research?

Mr. Jackson

There is continuing concern about differences between the two sectors of higher education. We have to recognise that, going back to 1966 and the days of the late right hon. Member for Grimsby, Mr. Anthony Crosland, there has been a difference in mission between the two sectors. The institutions in the university sector have a research vocation and that accounts very largely for the differences in the unit of resource between the two sectors. We believe that the polytechnics and colleges have a contribution to make to research and we have recognised that fact through the programme of selective initiatives.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

Will the Minister confirm that, even with the 9 per cent. extra, the unit of resouce for polytechnics will be further reduced next year and that, even on the most generous information from leaks about the money available, it will not be restored to anywhere near the total before the cuts in 1981, so that universities such as Salford and Bradford will have at least 20 per cent. fewer resources than they had in 1981?

Mr. Jackson

The recurrent grant for universities for 1987–88 is up by 10 per cent. over the previous year and we have further proposals to make later today. There is continuing support for universities and polytechnics and there has been rapid expansion throughout the past seven or eight years.