§ 2.39 p.m.
§ LORD TAYLORMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cost per place recommended by the University Grants Committee for students' halls of residence, and what is the cost per place of the last six students' halls of residence completed in this country.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)My Lords, the University Grants Committee introduced, at the beginning of 1959, a new system of assessing grants for university halls of residence. Under this system, grants are no longer assessed on the basis of so much per student place. Instead, a formula has been devised, after a study of requirements and costs, which enables the Committee to fix an appropriate limit of cost for a hall, while leaving substantial freedom of choice in the design and allocation of space to the university itself and its architect. Most of the halls which have already been completed were planned to a cost per student place of about £2,000 for halls, which included common room, dining and kitchen facilities. In 1957 the University Grants Committee asked universities to plan to a lower figure of about £1,500 per student place. The new formula introduced in 1959, will result in a further economy.
§ LORD TAYLORMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Earl for that helpful Answer.
THE EARL OF WOOLTONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether the University Grants Committee, in making these regulations, are allowing for private benevolence, which has always been a part of the financial structure of the universities? I cannot help thinking that it would be a pity if we were to have a certain uniformity in this matter which prevented private benevolence from providing some of the extra amenities and extra beauties which might come into halls of residence, and which are most desirable.
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, I think the universities are most anxious to take advantage of private benevolence, as well as of Government grants, in every way they can.
THE EARL OF WOOLTONMy Lords, do I understand that that will not preclude halls of residence from being built perhaps rather more elaborately if somebody else is paying for them?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, that is a different question which I should have thought depended on whether the donor had made it a specific condition of his gift that it should be used in that particular way. As I think the noble Earl knows, the gross amount of grants from the Government has gone up enormously in the last eight years, from about £23 million to about £65 million, and what the University Grants Committee are doing is to try to use this larger sum of money in a more economical way to get better value out of it.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, can the noble Earl say whether this recommendation of £1,500 per place is reinforced by any closer supervision by the appropriate Department, in view of the fact that there have been cases where original estimates have been considerably exceeded?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEI have inquired about that, and I am informed that the University Grants Committee are satisfied that the new formula for fixing limits on cost will enable the universities to build to a suitable standard 1052 and to provide the full range of facilities which the Committee feel to be desirable.
§ LORD TAYLORMy Lords, I am a little mystified about this new formula. If it is not based on the number of students to be housed in the hall, what is it based on?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, I quite agree with the noble Lord. It is not possible even to summarise this formula in a Parliamentary Answer, but I will send the noble Lord a copy of the University Grants Committee's Memorandum which contains it.
§ LORD TAYLORI thank the noble Earl.