HC Deb 01 December 1981 vol 14 cc108-9W
39. Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the savings in public expenditure resulting from the reduction in the recurrent grant to universities in the financial years 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83 and 1983–84; and if he will estimate the costs of redundancies amongst teaching and non-teaching staff in universities over the same period.

Mr. Waldegrave

On the assumption that the universities will bear a proportionate share of the reduction in current expenditure on higher education generally, the provision for universities' current expenditure underlying Cmnd. 8175—including the Open University and other institutions financed from the universities vote—is as follows:

£ million at 1980 survey prices
1979–80 730
1980–81 752
1981–82 712
1982–83 678
1983–84 654

These figures imply savings of £40 million in 1981–2, £74 million in 1982–83 and £98 million in 1983–84 compared with provisions in 1980–81. No reliable estimate of the cost of redundancies is available.