§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the consequences of the decision on the cuts of university student numbers and grant for the pattern and quality of research undertaken.
§ Dr. BoysonThe Government's expenditure plans of March 1981 provide for the science budget—the source of the grants-in-aid to the research councils from which they undertake selective support of university research—to be held at broadly the current level in real terms throughout the period to 1983–84. The University Grants Committee is anxious to sustain its share of the dual system of support for research. It has taken into account the needs of research in its distribution of recurrent and equipment grants, but the reduction in recurrent grant will mean some concentration of research activity. The committee will be continuing discussions with research councils and other466W funding agencies to ensure linking of policies in these circumstances. It is not yet possible to say what the effects on the pattern and quality of research will be.