STUDENT RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION (Hansard, 19 February 1975)

§ Lord BALERNO
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Lord Crowther-Hunt)
My Lords, the residential places already provided are approximately as follows: Universities in Great Britain, 106,000; colleges of education in England and Wales, 42,000; further education establishments in England and Wales, 16,000. In the universities, a further 7,500 residential places are now being built, and at least 5,000 of these should be ready by October 1975. In polytechnics about 2,300 further residential places are being built, and about 800 of these should be ready by next October.

§ Lord BALERNO
My Lords, in thanking the Minister for that reply and 276 being glad that something is being done, may I ask him whether he is aware of the full magnitude of this problem? Is he aware, to take one example, that of the 11,000 students at the University of Edinburgh fewer than half are in university accommodation or are living with their parents; and the other half have to find their accommodation at the beginning of each term? Is he also aware of the very great increase in the reluctance of owners of property to rent their property to students? Is he further aware that this accommodation is being charged for at greatly increased rent?

§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNT
My Lords, I am aware of the full magnitude of the problem, although, to put it in its proper perspective, so far as the universities as a whole in Great Britain are concerned, there is accommodation in halls of residence and colleges for 45 per cent. of the student population. So far as the particular consequences of the 1974 Rent Act are concerned, which was behind the second point made by the noble Lord, the Rent Act did not create the housing problem. So far as the students are concerned much of this difficulty has to do with the changing pattern of student demand; but it is true that a U.G.C. survey has shown that many universities are reporting that the Rent Act has had an adverse affect on the availability of privately-rented accommodation. In order to safeguard the possible use of this accommodation for students in the immediate future, the Government are considering a system of registration for student lettings.

§ Baroness YOUNG
My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that answer about considering registration for student lettings, can he give us some indication of the timetable and whether this registration will be introduced before the next academic year? Furthermore, is the Minister aware that Birmingham University has just issued a news sheet advising married students to leave their families behind before coming to Birmingham University? Does the noble Lord think that this is a desirable thing to do?

§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNT
My Lords, so far as the timetable is concerned, it is hoped that whatever we can do in this area will be ready for the next academic year. Consultations are under 277 way on this problem. So far as the advice from the University of Birmingham is concerned, I was not aware of it and I am not at all sure that that is the desirable thing to do.

§ Lord BLYTON
My Lords, while we appreciate the problem referred to in the Question, can the Minister assure us that priorities will not be given to this problem to the detriment of those who want houses to rent in working-class areas, where building has been reduced for the last four years and the need for housing is now tremendous?

§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNT
My Lords, the Government are aware of this problem. It is a question of getting priorities right in this area. That is why there is not, perhaps, on the student accommodation front, the progress that ideally might have been possible. This need has to be weighed against other priorities.

§ Lord NUGENT of GUILDFORD
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the better a university does in the provision of residential accommodation for students, usually and mainly by the raising of voluntary funds, the greater their difficulties when the current fashion of student rent strikes occurs? Has the noble Lord given any thought to the possibility of linking local authorities' grants to students with their contribution towards their rental payments in order to relieve this very distressing modern feature?

§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNT
My Lords, so far as the latter part of that question is concerned, grants to students are in such a form that they take into account the reasonable rents that students are expected to pay. I was not sure whether there was another implication behind the question of the noble Lord.

§ Lord NUGENT of GUILDFORD
Yes, my Lords. I thank the noble Lord for his query to me. Is he aware that 278 my point was that here is money being given from public funds, a large part of which comes originally from the Treasury, and in the event students hold up payment of rent when they are engaged in a rent strike? Has the noble Lord given any thought to some way in which there could be a direct payment from the assisting local authority to the funds of the university for the rental element?

§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNT
My Lords, the position is that it is for the universities and award-making bodies to consider the action they should take in the situation of a rent strike. They have certain powers in this respect so far as students are concerned.

§ Lord GARNER
My Lords, may I ask the Minister to bear in mind that students from overseas, particularly postgraduates, are tending increasingly to be married, and that it is precisely this group, especially if they have families, who find it difficult to obtain accommodation at all, and certainly to obtain accommodation which is conducive to serious study?

§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNT
My Lords, we arc aware of that problem.

§ Lord SEGAL
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that whereas there are positive advantages for children during school age to be living at home, there arc nevertheless distinct disadvantages if students are encouraged to live at home during their university careers?

§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNT
My Lords, this is a matter which at any rate in part is under study at this moment. From an economic point of view it would obviously be better if more students lived at home, and it would obviate the need for major building programmes. On the other hand, there are educational advantages, as the noble Lord has suggested, in students not being home based during this period. This problem is the subject of study at present.