HC Deb 25 March 1983 vol 39 cc495-6W
Mr. Christopher Price

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to publish final details of the membership of the co-ordinating working party for Northern Ireland higher education and its terms of reference; and whether its reports will be published.

Mr. Scott

Comments have now been received from the institutions and other interests concerned on the proposals set out in the consultative paper on planning and co-ordination arrangements—a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House on 18 January 1983. These comments have been carefully considered and they have also been discussed with the University Grants Committee.

The aim of the proposals was to provide for the continued involvement of the University Grants Committee in advising the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) on the funding and development of the Northern Ireland universities, thus reflecting their role as a part of the United Kingdom university system: while also providing greater scope than hitherto for the involvement of Northern Ireland social and economic interests. It was also intended to secure appropriate input from public sector higher education interests, in recognition of the wide range of work that will be carried on in the new institution which will be formed by the merger of the Ulster polytechnic and new university of Ulster. Having considered the comments received the Government have concluded that arrangements of the sort set out in the consultative paper should be introduced, but there will be modifications in detail so as to allow a larger input from Northern Ireland interests, the need for which was stressed in many of the comments received.

I am grateful to the UGC for its willingness to cooperate fully and so flexibly in establishing these new arrangements. The new arrangements do not affect the continuing direct responsibility of the Government for the funding of the Northern Ireland universities, nor do they alter the principle that the Government's decisions on this funding are reached only after advice has been received from the UGC, so that we will continue to enjoy the benefit of its academic and financial expertise. However, there will be a significant change in the way in which the UGC's advice will be formulated, in that the UGC for this purpose will establish a special working party on Northern Ireland, with the following terms of reference: To advise the main Committee, in consultation with the subject and other sub-committees, on carrying out its responsibilities for advising DENI on the co-ordinated planning and development of the universities in Northern Ireland and their funding. The working party will thus be an integral part of the UGC's machinery and will be concerned with the examination of all issues affecting the Northern Ireland universities. As such it will be able to form an overall view of how the provision being made by the Northern Ireland universities matches the needs of the Northern Ireland community.

The working party will consist of a chairman, two UGC members, two members with a close knowledge of public sector higher education in Great Britain and three members from Northern Ireland. An officer of the National Advisory Body for Local Authority Higher Education will act as assessor to it. The first chairman of the working party will be Professor Keith Clayton, and an announcement of the other members will be made later.

It is not possible to say at this stage whether the UGC might wish, from time to time, to ask the working party to produce reports for publication on any particular subjects. The general principle continues to be that the UGC's advice to the Government is confidential.

These new arrangements will be reviewed in three years.