Research (Hansard, 27 March 1990)

§ 5. Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the dual support system for research in universities and polytechnics.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Robert Jackson)
Research is sponsored by research councils in universities and polytechnics by grants from the councils. Under the dual support system the universities also receive block funding for research from the UFC.
As my right hon. Friend announced on 9 January, the Department has issued a consultative paper proposing changes in the method of supporting such research. The paper proposes new arrangements which would clarify the boundary between what costs are met from research council grants and what costs are met by higher education institutions. The consultations are continuing.

§ Mr. Worthington
Is not this a device to transfer £70 million to the research councils and further centralise research and diminish the authority of the universities? Instead of moving the deckchairs, and changing the administrative arrangements, should not we be increasing the amount of research that is undertaken?

§ Mr. Jackson
It is obvious that the hon. Gentleman has not noticed the substantial increase in the science budget over the past 10 years, and the past two years especially. The proposals, which follow a recommendation of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils, are still being consulted upon, so I cannot confirm the figure that the hon. Gentleman has given. There is a widespread view that it is desirable to make the transfer to achieve greater clarity in the arrangements and the costs of funding research, and to enable research to be better managed by the research councils and within the higher education institutions.

§ Mr. Latham
Why do we need a dual system at all? If an organisation has a professor and awards degrees, why should it not call itself a university? Is not it about time that polytechnics were allowed to do that?

§ Mr. Jackson
I think that my hon. Friend is confusing dual systems. The dual system of research, which is the subject of the question, is a principle to which Government adhere. We believe that it achieves a desirable balance between the ability of research councils to manage the deployment of research funds on a national basis and the ability of institutions and people who work in them to initiate proposals for research and to conduct research in a free and autonomous manner. We believe that that dual system still has many advantages but that it is desirable to clarify the boundaries between the two different funding systems. That is the subject of our proposal.

§ Dr. Bray
If the research funding at the disposal of universities and polytechnics falls, are not there bound to be greater instability and frictional losses in the research activity of particular institutions because there will not be the continuity of research council funding?

§ Mr. Jackson
As usual, the hon. Gentleman raises a point of substance which will have to be taken into account in the consultations on these matters. Balances have to be struck, but we believe that there are advantages in clarifying the boundaries in this fashion, as the advisory board recommended. One of the advantages, incidentally, will be to ensure that research funding goes increasingly to those institutions—and to the individuals in them—capable of doing the best work.

§ Mr. Rhodes James
Does the Minister share my enthusiasm for the votes in the House of Lords yesterday on the Education (Student Loans) Bill?

§ Mr. Jackson
I am delighted to note my hon. Friend's enthusiasm. The Government are still considering their position in relation to those amendments and no doubt my hon. Friend will be informed in due course of any conclusions that the Government have reached.