HC Deb 13 April 1981 vol 3 cc43-4W
Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the administrative cost of the Social Science Research Council in the latest year for which figures are available; and how this compares with each of the preceding five years.

Mr. Macfarlane

In 1979–80, the latest year for which figures are available, the administrative cost of the Social Science Research Council was £1,628,700. The corresponding figures for each of the preceding five years are as follows:

Financial Year £ Outturn Prices
1974–75 904,000
1975–76 1,341,000
1976–77 1,219,000
1977–78 1,296,000
1978–79 1,462,000

Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, for each of the last five academic years, how many applications for grants were received by the Social Science Research Council; how many were refused; and what was the total cost to public funds of grnats awarded.

Mr. Macfarlane

The record of applications for research grants from the Social Science Research Council is kept by financial years rather than by academic years. On this basis the information covering the five-year period 1975–76 to 1979–80 is as follows:

Financial Year Number of applications received Number of applications rejected Total cost to public funds of grants awarded outturn prices
£ million
1975–76 781 471 3.0
1976–77 749 479 2.8
1977–78 658 346 3.3
1978–79 749 378 4.6
1979–80 647 341 4.8
The right-hand column in the table gives the total financial commitment for public funds of the grants which were awarded in the financial year concerned. Most grants extend over three or more financial years.

Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science in the latest convenient 10-year period, how many postgraduate students have been in receipt of Social Science Research Council awards; what has been the total cost to public funds; how many students have completed their studies in a period of three years or less; and how many have completed their studies in a period exceeding six years.

Mr. Macfarlane

Between 1971–72 and 1980–81, 19,386 postgraduate students have been in receipt of an award from the Social Science Research Council. The total cost to public funds of these awards has been £55 million, this figure being the aggregate of the individual figures for each of the ten year's outturn prices. Information on the total numbers of students who began their courses during this period and who have completed their studies in periods of under three years, or in excess of six years, is not available.