§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing how many academic staff in universities, polytechnics, higher education colleges and further education colleges have been made redundant or have taken early retirement since 1979; what proportion of the academic work force they represent; and how many in each category had tenured posts.
§ Mr. WaldenThe number of academic staff in British universities made redundant or taking early retirement between 1981–82 and 1984–85 when the scheme was in operation is 3,317. This represents 7.8 per cent. of the 1979–80 staff, 7.7 per cent. of the 1980–81 staff, 7.7 per cent. of the 1981–82 staff, 7.9 per cent. of the 1982–83 staff, 7.9 per cent. of the 1983–84 staff and 7.8 per cent. of the 1984.85 staff.
Since 1979 the number of polytechnic teachers in England and Wales who had applied under the premature retirement scheme was 1,784. If this is expressed as a percentage of the full-time staff in each financial year from 1978–79 to 1983–84, the percentages are 10.6 per cent., 10.5 per cent., 10.6 per cent., 11.0 per cent., 11.2 per cent. and 11.5 per cent., respectively. Redundancies and early retirements for staff in other further and higher education colleges cannot readily be separated from the total number of redundancies and early retirements amongst all further and adult education staff and those from some independent schools.
Information on tenured posts is not available.