Universities (Technology) (Hansard, 29 June 1965)

§ Mr. Crosland

The Government, with the advice of the University Grants Committee, have, as I foreshadowed in my statement on higher education on 24th February, been considering the needs of developing technology in the universities for the remainder of the current quinquennium up to 31st July, 1967.

As a result the Government have decided to make available special supplementary recurrent grants totalling £1 million over the academic years 1965–66 and 1966–67, for allocation by the University Grants Committee to the three specialised institutions I then referred to—Imperial College, London, Manchester College of Science and Technology and the University of Strathclyde. The objects are to make good certain serious deficiencies in technology, to consolidate existing activities, and to support selected projects of importance which are beginning to develop out of existing activities. 72W This should secure a sound base for the further development of technological education and research in these institutions in the next quinquennium.

At the same time, it is the Government's intention to encourage and expand the work of technological departments in other universities. The special needs of the colleges of advanced technology, which have just come into the university grant system, will be considered by the U.G.C. in assessing their total recurrent needs for the rest of the quinquennium. For the remainder of the university field the Government intend to make available to the U.G.C. up to £400,000 during the rest of the present quinquennium for selected approved projects for promising developments in technology. As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology informed the House on 14th June the attention of the University Grants Committee has been drawn to the need to encourage the development of machine tool technology and they will take account of the recommendation of the Machine Tool Economic Development Committee in making their allocation of this grant.