§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to increase the resources available to universities for investment in new technology for teaching. [29852]
§ Mr. ForthHigher education institutions receive their funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England as a block grant. It is for institutions themselves to decide their priorities for investment.
The funding council is investing more than £16 million over three years in a programme of metropolitan area networks to improve institutions' access to the higher education and research broadband network SuperJANET. The higher education funding bodies are contributing around £33 million over four years to the UK teaching and learning technology programme which develops innovative approaches to teaching and learning using modern technology.