HC Deb 22 April 1991 vol 189 cc310-5W
Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were staff-student ratios at(a) universities, (b) polytechnics and (c) colleges of higher education in each year since 1978–79.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Data are not available in the form requested for 1978–79. Student-staff ratios are given in the table for universities, polytechnics and other establishments. Data are given for higher education (HE) and further education (FE) separately and together (ALL) for polytechnics and other establishments.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Available information for universities is shown in the table. This relates to claims met by the University Grants Committee and the Universities Funding Council for reimbursement of premature retirement and redundancy compensation since 1978–79. Information is not collected centrally about premature retirements and redundancies funded from universities' own resources.

Costs of early retirement and redundancy in polytechnics and higher education colleges were met, up to1988–89, from the redundancies/premature retirement compensation schemes advanced further education open pool. Available information for the years 1982–83 to 1987–88 is as follows:

Academic year Cost Index
£ million
1982–83 3 100
1983–84 6 191
1984–85 6 182
1985–86 8 230
1986–87 10 278
1987–88 9 238

From 1989–90, claims met by the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council have been as follows:

Academic year
1989–90 1990–91
Academic staff 271 411
Non-academic staff 272 349
Cost (£ million) 3 4
Index 100 124

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list figures for the average salary of full-time lecturers at(a) universities, (b) polytechnics and (c) colleges of higher education for each year since 1978–79 in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms, indexed so that 1978–79 equals 100;

(2) if he will list figures for the average rise in salary of full-time lecturers at (a) universities, (b) polytechnics and (c) colleges of adult and continuing education for each year since 1978–79 in (i) absolute cash terms, (ii) real terms and (iii) in terms of the rise in average earnings indexed so that 1978–79 equals 100;

(3) what was the cost of salaries to (a) academic staff and (b) non-academic staff at (1) universities, (2)

Table 2: polytechnic and adult education institutions salary bills1 in cash and real terms (£ thousands)
Polytechnics Adult education institutions
Year: April to March Academic staff Non-academic staff Academic staff Non-academic staff
cash real terms cash real terms cash real terms cash real terms
1978–79 153,926 100.0 67,442 100.0 36,986 100.0 8,186 100.0
1979–80 174,988 97.4 81,002 102.9 43,256 100.2 10,208 106.9
1980–81 221,217 104.1 94,543 101.5 52,680 103.2 11,632 102.9
1981–82 242,479 104.0 106,096 103.9 60,829 108.6 13,363 107.8
1982–83 256,406 102.7 114,534 104.7 68,971 115.0 14,365 108.2
1983–84 267,821 102.6 118,963 104.0 77,089 122.9 16,058 115.6
1984–85 276,787 100.9 126,915 105.6 82,231 124.7 17,152 117.5
1985–86 292,421 101.1 132,840 104.8 88,159 126.8 18,236 118.5
1986–87 309,669 103.5 144,724 110.3 94,308 131.1 20,875 131.1
1987–88 336,601 106.8 155,058 112.2 100,986 133.3 23,218 138.5
1988–89 362,987 107.1 168,748 113.7 105,878 130.1 22,457 124.6
1Source: Handbook of Education Unit Costs.

Table 3: University Full-time Lecturer: Average Salary Comparisons
Cash Percentage change Real terms Percentage change Index relative to average earnings Percentage change Index relative to average professional earnings Percentage change
1978 7,253 100.0 100.0 100.0
1979 8,486 17.0 99.8 –0.2 103.2 3.2 106.7 6.7
1980 10,012 18.0 102.3 2.5 99.1 –4.0 99.9 –6.4
1981 11,224 12.1 102.3 0.1 98.0 –1.1 94.9 –5.0
1982 11,962 6.6 103.5 1.1 95.5 –2.5 93.8 –1.1
1983 12,579 5.2 103.3 –0.2 92.5 –3.2 91.0 –2.9
1984 13,392 6.5 105.2 1.8 91.1 –1.5 90.7 –0.4

polytechnics and (3) colleges of higher education each year since 1978–79 in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms, indexed so that 1978–79 equals 100;

(4) if he will list figures for the average rise in salary of full-time lecturers at (a) universities, (b) polytechnics and (c) colleges of higher education for each year since 1978–79 in relation to the rise in average professional earnings.

Mr. Alan Howarth

The information is not available in the form requested, but the following tables should be useful. In each case, the real-terms series for average salaries are derived on the basis of movements in all items RPI, and those for salary bills on the basis of movements in the GDP deflator. The figures for academic staff pay shown do not include any non-salary earnings: comparable information is not available on such earnings. The university figures relate to Great Britain and those for local authority maintained institutions to England and Wales.

Table 1: University salary bills1 in cash and real terms
(£ thousands)
Academic staff Non-academic staff
Cash Real terms Cash Real terms
1978–79 330,615 100.0 103,474 100.0
1979–80 409,159 105.5 122,936 101.3
1980–81 522,157 117.0 164,227 117.6
1981–82 546,235 112.5 170,144 112.0
1982–83 557,383 108.1 171,480 106.2
1983–84 592,988 109.7 179,808 106.3
1984–85 622,885 109.6 185,756 104.4
1985–86 677,611 113.8 193,933 104.1
1986–87 734,848 118.5 202,416 104.3
1987–88 801,421 121.9 210,798 102.4
1988–89 861,820 122.4 222,754 101.1
Year: August to July.

1Source: Universities' Statistical Record. The figures used relate to staff in academic departments.

Cash Percentage change Real terms Percentage change Index relative to average earnings Percentage change Index relative to average professional earnings Percentage change
1985 14,005 4.6 104.1 –1.1 88.8 –2.6 88.8 –2.1
1986 14,294 2.1 102.4 –1.6 83.9 –5.5 82.6 –6.9
1987 16,643 16.4 115.0 12.3 90.7 8.1 88.7 7.4
1988 17,656 6.1 114.2 –0.7 87.6 –3.4 84.6 –4.6

Average salaries as at December. Taken from Universities' Statistical Record.

Average earnings and average professional earnings drawn from the New earnings Survey and relate to April of same calendar year.

Table 4: Local authority F&HE maintained sector full-time academic staff: average salary comparisons
Cash Percentage change Real terms Percentage change Index relative to average earnings Percentage change Index relative to average professional earnings Percentage change
1979 7,020 100.0 100.0 100.0
1980 7,573 7.9 90.1 –9.9 87.8 –12.2 85.6 –14.4
1981 9,806 29.5 103.6 15.0 100.3 14.3 93.9 9.7
1982 10,541 7.5 100.9 –2.6 98.6 –1.7 93.6 –0.3
1983 11,189 6.1 102.4 1.5 96.3 –2.3 91.7 –2.0
1984 11,728 4.8 102.0 –0.4 93.4 –3.0 90.0 –1.9
1985 12,317 5.0 100.9 –1.0 91.4 –2.2 88.5 –1.7
1986 13,212 7.3 103.9 2.9 90.8 –0.7 86.5 –2.2
1987 13,966 5.7 105.6 1.6 89.1 –1.8 84.4 –4.7
1988 15,346 9.9 112.1 6.2 89.2 0.1 83.3 –1.2
1989 16,340 6.5 110.6 –1.3 86.5 –3.0 79.4 –4.7

Average salaries as at March. Provided by Local Government Management Board.

Average earnings and average professional earnings drawn from the New Earnings Survey and relate to April of same calendar year.

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many students aged(a) over 25 years, (b) 30 years and (c) 40 years were enrolled in (i) undergraduate and (ii) graduate higher education in the United Kingdom in each year since 1978–79; and what proportion these represented of the total;

(2) what number of (a) academic staff and (b) non-academic staff were employed at (i) universities, (ii) polytechnics and (iii) colleges of higher education in each year since 1978–79;

(3) what number of (a) full-time students and (b) part-time students attended (i) universities, (ii) polytechnics and (iii) colleges of higher education in each year since 1978–79;

(4) what proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds secured (a) a non-degree place and (b) a degree place in (i) universities, (ii) polytechnics and (iii) colleges of higher education in each year since 1978–79;

(5) what number of women students (a) attended (i) universities, (ii) polytechnics and (iii) colleges of higher education and (b) attended (1) undergraduate and (2) graduate higher education in the United Kingdom in each year since 1978–79; and what proportion these represented of the total;

(6) how many (a) overseas students, (b) Commonwealth students, (c) non-Commonwealth third world students and (d) European Community students were enrolled in (i) undergraduate and (ii) graduate higher education in the United Kingdom in each year since 1978–79; and what proportion these represented of the total.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Information is contained in the Department's statistical publications.

Data on mature students are given in Statistical Bulletin 2/91—"Mature Students in Higher Education". Numbers of academic staff are shown in table 9 of "Education Statistics for the United Kingdom"; details of non-academic staff are not available centrally. Statistical Bulletin 11/90—"Student Numbers in Higher Education" contains details of full and part-time students, by sector, level of study, age and sex. Statistical Bulletin 11/89—"Students from Abroad in Great Britain" and table 30 of "Education Statistics for the United Kingdom" give details of students from abroad, by country and sector.

All those publications are available in the Library.

The total numbers of young home initial entrants in full-time higher education expressed as a percentage of the averaged 18 to 19-year-old Great Britain population—the Age Participation Index (API)—were:

Academic year beginning per cent.
1979 12.3
1980 12.6
1981 13.1
1982 13.4
1983 13.2
1984 13.7
1985 13.9
1986 14.0
1987 14.6
1988 15.1
1989 17.1

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much has been spent on discretionary awards to higher education students in each year since 1978–79 in(a) cash terms and (b) real terms, indexed so that 1978–79 equals 100.

Mr. Alan Howarth

The table shows expenditure on discretionary awards made by local education authorities in England and Wales using their powers under section 1(6) of the Education Act 1962.

Academic Year Cash expenditure At 1978–79 Prices
£ million £ million Index
1978–79 8.3 8.3 100
1979–80 8.5 7.3 88
1980–81 8.7 6.4 77
1981–82 9.4 6.3 76
1982–83 9.3 5.8 70
1983–84 9.9 5.8 70
1984–85 10.1 5.7 69
1985–86 10.7 5.7 69
1986–87 11.1 5.7 69
1987–88 12.7 6.3 76
1988–89 11.4 5.3 64

Awards made under section 1(6) are made at LEA's discretion to students attending courses designated for mandatory awards purposes who are personally ineligible for a mandatory award. The cash expenditure includes both fees and maintenance paid as part of the award. The constant price and index figures have been calculated using the retail price index. The reduction in expenditure in 1982–83 reflected a change in the level of fees payable as part of the award.

Central Government's own expenditure
£ million
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89
UNIVERSITIES FUNDING COUNCIL (formerly UGC)
Current
Cash 602 728 943 968 1,176 1,222 1,253 1,283 1,320 1,468 1,585
Real terms 1,409 1,461 1,599 1,497 1,698 1,686 1,646 1,598 1,589 1,678 1,686
Index (1978–79 = 100) 100.0 103.7 113.5 106.2 120.5 119.7 116.8 113.4 112.8 119.1 119.7
Capital
Cash 70 88 98 103 107 103 107 118 130 129 141
Real terms 164 177 166 159 154 142 141 147 157 147 150
Index (1978–79 = (100) 100.0 107.9 101.2 97.0 93.9 86.6 86.0 89.6 95.7 89.6 91.5
OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION
Current
Cash 98 123 156 165 171 172 174 177 181 194 197
Real terms 229 247 265 255 247 237 229 220 218 222 210
Index (1978–79 = 100) 100.0 107.9 115.7 111.4 107.9 103.5 100.0 96.1 95.2 96.9 91.7
Capital
Cash 12 20 18 18 17 19 19 20 22 22 25
Real terms 28 40 31 28 25 26 25 25 26 25 27
Index (1978–79 = 100) 100.0 142.9 110.7 100.0 89.3 92.9 89.3 89.3 92.9 89.3 96.4

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