§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many of the 218,000 student places being made available at universities in 1973–74 will be provided by London University; and whether he will arrange for a substantial number of these undergraduate places to be provided by the four major scientific and technological internal institutions of London University having recognised teachers, namely, Northern Polytechnic, Sir John Cass College, West Ham College of Technology, and Woolwich Polytechnic;
(2) whether he is aware that it is more economic to provide increased numbers of student places in existing colleges than to build new ones; and whether he will give assistance to the four senior institutions of Northern Polytechnic, Sir John Cass College, West Ham College of Technology and Woolwich Polytechnic to develop along these lines.
§ Mr. CroslandThe contribution to be made by each university towards the total of 218,000 places to be provided by 1973–74 is a matter for discussion between the University Grants Committee and individual universities. The four colleges mentioned are not constituent parts of the University of London and therefore none of their students contributes towards the target of 218,000 places. I shall, however, continue to encourage the development of appropriate advanced level courses at these and similar institutions of higher education outside the universities. The target for higher education as a whole is 390,000.