§ Mr. Thorntonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, further to his reply of 16 June, Official Report, col. 335, to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours), he will give a similar estimate of the savings in the public sector of advanced further education of a reduction in the staff-student ratio.
§ Dr. BoysonIf the ratio of students in the public sector of advanced further education to teaching staff increased by one and student numbers remained constant, there would be a saving of about 14 per cent. in teaching staff costs. If this saving were carried through into non-teaching costs, it would be more than sufficient to meet the cut of about 8 per cent. by 1983–84 compared with previous plans provided for in the public expenditure White Paper—Cmnd. 8175—for higher education as a whole.