HC Deb 31 July 1961 vol 645 cc125-6W
Mr. Malcolm MacPherson

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) in view of the fact that for 1959–60 recurrent grants paid to the Scottish universities, including the Glasgow Royal College of Technology, were at the average rate of £363 per student and recurrent grants paid to the universities of England and Wales were at the average rate of £423 per student, what were the main factors causing a lower assessment by the University Grants Committee of the requirements of the Scottish universities;

(2) whether he will specify the main factors in the assessment by the University Grants Committee of the requirements of the Manchester College of Technology and the Glasgow Royal College of Science and Technology, respectively, that led to the allocation of recurrent grant in 1958–59 at the rate of £485 per student to the first and of £226 per student to the second.

Sir E. Boyle

The responsibility for allocating recurrent grant between the universities rests with the University Grants Committee. I do not think it would be right to make public how the Committee reaches its decisions in particular cases. As I told the Hon. Member on 11th July, however, the allocations made by the University Grants Committee are not based on any fixed formula, but on its assessment of the requirements of the universities concerned.