§ Lord Beloffasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their policy on the funding of liberal adult education provided by extra-mural departments of the universities.
§ Baroness HooperFollowing consultation with the universities, the Government have decided to transfer responsibility for these grants to English universities to the Universities Funding Council proposed in the Education Reform Bill. The Government consider that this work should properly take its place alongside the other work of the universities to be 817WA funded through the Universities Funding Council rather than to be funded partly by the Department of Education and Science and partly by the council. One consequence of this transfer will be that Her Majesty's Inspectorate will cease to inspect the work of university extra-mural departments. The Government are confident that the council will attach as much importance to this work as the Government do. A working party, consisting of officers from the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals, the University Grants Committee, HM Inspectorate and the department, has been established which will examine the practical details involved in the transfer of responsibility in order to ensure a smooth transition.
The grants to Welsh universities are still under consideration and a decision will be made later.