§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish, 30 June, Official Report, column 381, if he will list, in tabular form, the change in funding of universities in cash and constant 1985–86 prices for each year since 1980–81 to 1986–87, with estimates for 1987–88 and 1988–89, excluding those amounts representing compensation for changes in home students fees, for redundancy and for early retirement, changes to take account of minor capital works from the recurrent grant, changes in local authority rates and additions made for the information technology and new blood programmes.
§ Mr. WaldenThe percentage change in public funding of the universities in cash and real terms for each year since 1980–81 is as follows:
It must be borne in mind that arbitrary exclusions can produce artificial figures. But on the basis, excluding the funding elements selectively listed by the hon. Member, the percentage changes in cash and real terms each year since 1980–81 are as follows:
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UGC Recurrent and Equipment Grants excluding selectively listed funding elements Academic Years 1980–81 to 1981–82 1981–82 to 1982–83 1982–83 to 1983–84 1983–84 to 1984–85 1984–85 to 1985–86 1985–86 to 1986–87 Cash -3.9 +3.7 +3.9 +3.2 +5.0 +0.8 Real Terms* -11.4 -2.5 -0.5 -1.3 -0.2 -2.9 * Using the GDP deflator. The Government have announced their willingness to increase financial provision for the universities in 1987–88 and later years if they demonstrate progress towards better management, improved standards of teaching, selectively in research funding and the rationalisation of small departments. We will be discussing the way forward with the University Grants Committee and the vice-chancellors over the next few months before public expenditure plans are finalised in the autumn.