§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for capital expenditure on further education in Belfast. [8641]
§ Mr. AncramFurther education projects such as that planned at the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education compete with projects in other sectors for a place in the annual capital new starts programme. The 1996–97 programme, which will be announced shortly, will be constructed from schemes with a high priority which are sufficiently advanced in planning within the total education estate.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what will be the level of the funding of higher education in Northern Ireland in 1996–97; what was the expenditure in 1995–96; and if he will make a statement on the impact of the settlement on the unit of resource in higher education. [8639]
§ Mr. AncramThe Department of Education for Northern Ireland is advised on the funding of the two Northern Ireland universities by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. It will be some weeks yet before HEFCE is in a position to advise the Department on the levels of funding for the 1996–97 academic year. Until the funding allocations are known, it is not possible to assess the impact on the unit of resource.
Total recurrent and capital funding to the Northern Ireland universities in the 1995–96 academic year will amount to some £117 million.