§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Lord President of the Council when he expects the new institution created by the amalgamation of the New University of Ulster and the Ulster Polytechnic to receive a Royal charter; and to what extent the charter will guarantee the continuation of the existing work of the polytechnic.
§ Mr. BiffenI cannot yet say when a Royal charter for the new institution will be proposed, and its detailed content cannot be anticipated, but there is no reason in principle why such a charter should not make provision for as wide a range of work as is currently undertaken by the Ulster Polytechnic.
§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Lord President of the Council what progress the Privy Council has made towards granting a Royal charter to the University of Buckingham; and what organisations he has consulted in this matter.
§ Mr. BiffenThe terms of the draft Royal charter for the proposed University of Buckingham are still being considered by the Privy Council and a decision is expected soon. The organisations consulted by my Department were the Association of University Teachers, the trade union side of the Central Council for Non-Teaching Staffs in Universities and the National Union of Students. Representations have also been received from the Council for National Academic Awards and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Lord President of the Council if he will publish in the Official Report the criteria adopted by the Privy Council when considering the granting of a Royal charter to a new university institution.
§ Mr. BiffenThe Privy Council relies principally on the advice of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, who will be particularly concerned with academic excellence, the safeguarding of standards and the role of the institution in relation to the total provision for university education.