§ Alistair BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many IT teaching posts in higher education were unfilled in 2000; [10912]
(2) what recent studies she has carried out into the shortage of IT staff in higher education; and if she will make a statement; [10911]
40W(3) what discussions she has had in 2001 on the shortage of IT staff in higher education institutions; and if she will make a statement. [10925]
§ Margaret HodgeThe information is not held centrally. Individual universities and colleges, as employers, are responsible for monitoring their own vacancies. However, surveys commissioned by the funding councils and representative bodies to follow up the Bett report suggested that while there were no generalised problems of recruitment or retention, there were specific issues in recruiting to some subjects where there was competition for qualified staff in the economy, including information and communication technology. The Government have made available additional funding for higher education pay over three years, rising to £170 million in 2003–04. In exchange, all institutions have provided the Higher Education Funding Council for England with a human resources strategy which sets out the issues they have to address and how they will be resolved.