§ Mr. Michael McGuireasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many jobs in the universities will be lost as a result of the recent cut in the University Grants Committee's allocation and in the grants to the various research councils.
§ Dr. BoysonI do not expect any staff to be dismissed as a result of the cuts but it is possible that there will be fewer appointments than would otherwise have been the case.
Universities decide how to deploy the funds paid to them by the University Grants Committee: with regard to grants from the research councils, it is not known precisely how a higher level of funds would have been used.
It is therefore impossible to suggest how many new appointments will not be made.