§ 1. Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he will make a statement on the sums available in the new financial year for capital expenditure on buildings for United Kingdom universities.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Further and Higher Education (Mr. Tim Boswell)Provision for capital expenditure on United Kingdom university buildings forms an integral part of the respective Education Departments' higher education capital programmes.
In the light of the Chancellor's autumn statement, figures have been made available for the resources in England and Scotland for higher education capital in 1993–94. Details of the provision for Wales are being published this afternoon and figures for Northern Ireland will be announced later.
The autumn statement also provided for universities to increase their scope for capital funding by enabling them to borrow on the security of Exchequer-funded assets.
§ Mr. TrimbleI thank the Minister for that reply and have pleasure in welcoming him to the Dispatch Box.
The Government's policy is to try to increase the number of people in higher education, and certain penalties attach to an increase in numbers. I recall, many years ago, when I started my first-year university course, there were 55 in the class. A former colleague told me the other day that he is starting a lecture course next year with 215 in the class, although the lecture theatre still accommodates only about 70 people.
It is possible to use some facilities more efficiently, but there comes a point, with the expansion of higher education, when there must be an expansion in funding, too. Will the Government now accept that need and make substantially more public resources available for that purpose?
§ Mr. BoswellI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his personal remarks. I apologise to the House for having exchanged only too recently the relative Trappism of the Whip's Office so I have not yet achieved the fluency and elegance which I hope is appropriate to my new Department.
The answer to the hon. Gentleman's substantive point is that it is important that higher education is conducted in 278 adequate buildings. Much better use is now being made of buildings, as the hon. Gentleman said, and that is right. Where there is a continuing shortage of space, it is open to universities to apply for capital funding for a particular project. We are maintaining the state-funded capital project programme in the coming year, and universities now have the additional benefit of being able to borrow in the commercial market on the security of their existing assets.