University and Polytechnic Library Spending (Hansard, 19 June 1989)

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the Government cannot accept the picture painted by the Book Trust's report. The facts are that over the period 1980–81 to 1986–87 universities' expenditure on books and periodicals increased by some 15 per cent. above the standard measure of inflation. On the same basis, there was a 10 per cent. real terms increase in polytechnics' expenditure on text and library books.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, is the Minister aware that I look upon his reply with a good deal of scepticism? I wonder whether he has read the report and is aware that the Minister responsible for higher education, Mr. Jackson, stated in a letter to the University, College and Professional Publishers Council in May last year: Research has in general been more severely affected than teaching by the squeeze on library resources in recent years". He admits that there has been a squeeze and that it has affected both teaching and research. Is the Minister also aware that the British Library also conducted a survey and that its results, appearing last year, confirm in no uncertain terms that damage is being done to research and that the morale of those taking part in academic research has been lowered?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I am sorry that the noble Baroness is slightly sceptical about my original Answer. I should remind her that the Universities Funding Council has inherited a UGC initiative for a £9 million programme over the three years from 1987–88 for the purchase of books and periodicals. The first signs are that this initiative has helped to achieve a substantial upturn in expenditure on libraries. It would have been good had this been acknowledged by the Book Trust's report.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, perhaps I may follow that by saying that the Book Trust's report was from 1978–79 to 1986–87. Since the noble Viscount has referred to the extra £3 million, can he say whether expenditure rose by the sum that it should have risen by? Have the Government any plans for similar additional allocations beyond 1990?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, universities' income from the Universities Funding Council in 1989–90 is 8.5 per cent. higher in real terms than was the income in 1980–81 from its predecessor, the University Grants Committee. I remind your Lordships that during last year's passage through this House of what became the Education Reform Act the Government were at pains to assure your Lordships that we did not aim to intervene in the 4 internal affairs of institutions. Decisions on priorities are essentially for the institutions themselves.

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, is the Minister aware that during the period covered by the report average academic book prices rose by over 40 per cent. and the price of periodicals used in universities by just under 70 per cent? In these circumstances does the Minister not agree that the increase in the universities' recurrent grant for spending on libraries is totally inadequate to allow them to catch up and to maintain standards in their libraries? Is he further aware that the Minister responsible for higher education has now admitted that there is a serious brain drain, not just of scientists, but also of social scientists and academics working in the humanities who are highly dependent on books both for teaching and research? Those academics are being driven out of the country by the deplorable state of academic libraries.

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I believe we are talking about two different things. Higher priced books and other price rises are taken into account in determining, with the advice of the funding council, the overall public funding levels. However, I see no advantage in linking library funding to book prices as that would simply fuel price increases.

§ Baroness Seear
My Lords, how does the noble Viscount explain his optimistic view of what has been going on when the Blackwell journal index shows a 25 per cent. cut in periodicals and a reduction of over 30 per cent. funding at Belfast, Birmingham, Cambridge and Dundee universities? I shall not go on because it is a very long list. There seems to be a great discrepancy between what the noble Viscount is saying and what the Blackwell journal index shows.

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the Government do not control, nor do they intend to control, the level of expenditure on university and polytechnic libraries. That is a matter for the institutions themselves to decide and defend against their other priorities. However, it is worth noting that the evidence available to HMI shows that library provision in the polytechnics is broadly satisfactory and that staff and students are generally well supported by library holdings.

§ Lord Peston
My Lords, I hope the noble Viscount will allow me also to add a note of scepticism concerning his answer. Is he aware that almost every—I am tempted to say every—librarian in this country would reject the answers that he has just given? All are under the impression that they are making real cuts in their expenditure on books and periodicals. Did I hear the Minister correctly? Did he say that one reason why the Government do not fully finance the expenditure on libraries is that they believe that if they were to do so it would add to the pressure to raise the price of books? Was that part of the answer?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I stated that I saw no advantage in linking library funding to book prices as that would simply fuel price increases. I shall write to the noble Lord to explain that in more detail. Universities and, following the Education Reform Act, polytechnics, are autonomous institutions. It is for them to decide how to budget the substantial public and other funds at their disposal.

§ Lord Peston
My Lords, I ask the noble Viscount, with respect, to ensure that he writes to me about this matter. From my limited knowledge of economics and what determines prices, I find it almost unbelievable that financing university libraries would be a cause of book price inflation. Has the Minister any more information in his current briefing that might shed light on that matter?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I know that when economists disagree on statistics they always seem to be shaking their heads in one direction or another. However, as I said, if one links library funding to book prices per se, that will simply fuel higher prices.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, is the Minister aware that these libraries have been unable to buy so many periodicals and journals because of cuts in their funding? As a result of fewer subscriptions, the price of the periodical or journal has to go up. Not enough funding is available. It is not the universities' fault if they are underfunded. If they have to cut their library subscriptions, that is because the general funding is simply not adequate.

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, apart from repeating what I have already said, I think the best thing I can do is to make sure that all the exchanges today are conveyed to my honourable friend.