Universities: Teaching and Research Standards (Hansard, 15 May 1986)

§ Lord Hunter of Newington
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, the Government's policy is to maintain and, wherever possible, enhance standards of teaching and research at all of Britain's universities. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science expects to receive very soon advice from the University Grants Committee about how the funds available for the universities should best be distributed.

§ Lord Hunter of Newington
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. Do the Government not accept the overwhelming nature of the evidence that has been presented by many agencies, including the Royal Society and the Select Committee of your Lordships' House? There really is no contrary evidence. Do the Government not accept also that there is a delay before the damage that is being caused will be evident?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, I am not sure that I followed entirely the noble Lord's train of thought in putting that question. If he was referring to funding, then he will be aware that the Government take advice from the University Grants Committee, and that the Secretary of State has made it plain that any systematic evidence of adverse effects upon universities as a result of funding policy will be taken into account during the annual expenditure review.

§ Lord Rochester
My Lords, will the noble Baroness bear in mind that some of us are in fundamental disagreement with the premise underlying the Question of the noble Lord, Lord Hunter of Newington? We feel strongly that there are sound economic, industrial and social reasons why there 1273 should be no reduction in the number of universities in the United Kingdom at a time when we are making provision for higher education for a much smaller percentage of our population than our major trading competitors.

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, I believe that the Question was founded on recent press reports that have been entirely speculative about possible closures. In its 1984 strategy document the University Grants Committee stated that there might be circumstances in which the phasing out of grants to some universities might be the least damaging way of solving the problems facing the university system. However, I wish to make it absolutely clear that the University Grants Committee has not made any recommendations to that effect, let alone named particular institutions.

§ Baroness Lockwood
My Lords, I wonder whether the Minister can tell the House how the Government expect to enhance the standards of research and teaching in universities and at the same time reduce the resources that are available to universities?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, in that area as in others the Government seek to spend the money available in the best possible way. It is for that reason that we have asked the University Grants Committee to submit plans for the allocation of grants to universities and to underline priorities.

§ Lord Grimond
My Lords, do the Government not agree that at present there are people who are fitted and who have the qualifications to go to university but who cannot get places? Will they undertake that there will be no further reductions in the number of places and no further attack upon the Robbins principle; and that people who are fitted and qualified to get university places will have a chance to get them?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, the number of entrants to universities is not being reduced. Since 1979 the evidence shows that the number of home students has increased by nearly 80,000. The proportion of 18 year-olds to 19 year-olds entering higher education has increased by 15 per cent., and the number of mature entrants has risen by 12 per cent. The Government's plans envisage further increases in participation rates over the next decade.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, does the noble Baroness not accept that any decision by the University Grants Committee to recommend the closing of universities must solely spring from the cutting of the supply of money by the Government, and that the ultimate responsibility is the Government's?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, as I said earlier, the University Grants Committee will be offering advice to my right honourable friend in the summer on the current and prospective financial position of the universities, and the recommendations of the University Grants Committee will be taken fully into account in any plans for future spending as part of the 1274 Government's annual review of their expenditure plans.

§ Lord Irving of Dartford
My Lords, while recognising the need to maintain the highest standards, does the noble Baroness not realise that it is more and not less higher education that we need in this country if we are to compete with our competitiors in France, Germany, America and Japan? Is the noble Baroness also aware that despite what she has said, there has been a cut of 2.7 per cent., or 12,000 students per annum, in the numbers entering our universities in each year between 1980–81 and 1984–85, whereas employers, according to the PA Personnel Services Report, seek a 4 per cent. growth in the number of graduates through to 1990 if industry is to prosper?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, I can only refer the noble Lord to my earlier answer about the increasing number of students, and emphasise the fact that in areas such as science and engineering the number has also been considerably increased.

§ Lord Hunter of Newington
My Lords, does the Minister not agree that the basic research funding of universities over the past five years has been steadily reduced?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, I am not aware of the figures behind the noble Lord's supplementary question; but the University Grants Committee's decisions are based very much on the merits of the research being undertaken in various university departments. The Government welcome that approach, which gives extra support for high quality research work.