§ Mr. Madelasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement about the programme of recruitment by the universities of additional young researchers and lecturers and about additional provision for information technology, to which he referred in his statement on 8 November, Official Report c. 41.
§ Sir Keith Joseph[pursuant to the reply, 16 December 1982, c. 187]: On the basis of advice from the National Advisory Body, I am approving the expansion of information technology provision in the local authority sector in the following 16 institutions and will be distributing amongst the local education authorities maintaining these institutions the £2 million included within the capped advanced further education pool for 1983–84 to finance this expansion.
- Brighton Polytechnic
- Brighton Technical College
- Chelmer Institute of Higher Education
- Coventry (Lanchester) Polytechnic
- Doncaster Metropolitan Institute of Higher Education
- Gloucestershire College of Art and Technology
- Hatfield Polytechnic
- Kingston Polytechnic
- Leicester Polytechnic
- North Staffordshire Polytechnic
- Portsmouth Polytechnic
- Sheffield Polytechnic
- Slough College of Higher Education
- South Bank Polytechnic
- Sunderland Polytechnic
- Teesside Polytechnic
These institutions will be offering a range of courses in computer studies, micro-electronics and computer-related engineering. In total these courses are expected to provide for an additional 400 post-graduate and post-experience students and 800 first degree and higher diploma or certificate students in 1983–84, increasing significantly in later years.
Studentships will be available from the SERC for students on the approved post-graduate courses.
The NAB has advised me that it will further consider the regional balance of provision in this subject area, with particular reference to provision in the North-West, in the context of its 1984–85 planning exercise.