§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the percentage cash increase in the recurrent grant paid to the universities between the academic years 1980–81 and 1983–84, discounting the increase due to the halving of the home student fee and the cost of early retirement and redundancies; and how this increase compares with the rise over the same period of the retail price index and of the index of costs in the universities.
§ Mr. BrookeThe recurrent grant allocated by the University Grants Committee increased in cash by about 12 per cent. between the academic years 1980–81 and 1983–84 when adjusted to take account of the increase in that grant to compensate for the reduction in the undergraduate tuition fee. This figure does not include the additional sums totalling £80 million made available separately by the Government as a contribution to the cost of redundancy and early retirement compensation.
The latest date for which both the index of university costs and the retail price index are available is July 1983. Between July 1981 and July 1983 both indices rose by about 13 per cent. Recurrent grant—adjusted as above — increased in cash by about 7 per cent. between 1980–81 and 1982–83.
The recurrent grant figures on which these calculations are based are not adjusted for other changes in funding, including changes in the definition of minor works.