§ 3.22 p.m.
§ LORD BEAUMONT OF WHITLEYMy 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 whether sufficient funds have been 1365 made available to the Open University to allow them to accept all applicants for courses in the first year.
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, students will be enrolled next year for courses starting in January, 1971 Grants to the Open University after that date will take account of the level of enrolments.
§ LORD BEAUMONT OF WHITLEYMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask her whether she is aware of the forecast reported by the Vice-Chancellor of the Open University, that there might need to be a quota system for allocating places on courses for the first year?
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, I should not like to comment on any statement by the Vice-Chancellor of the Open University, but as the noble Lord will appreciate, the number of potential students is vast. The financing of the Open University will be different from that of existing universities, and therefore the whole matter must rest on the enrolments when they come in.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, what facilities will be offered to the students of this new university to smash up university property, in order that they may feel no sense of grievance when they compare their lot with that of other university students?
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, since they will be utilising in some part their own television sets one assumes they will not exercise this right, or opportunity.
§ LORD WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, could my noble friend say whether the restriction on admissions is likely to be due to monetary causes or to the lack of sufficient tutors throughout the country?
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, we have no evidence that there is in fact restriction. We have not yet even received the enrolments, so one can hardly say that there will be restrictions.