§ 42. Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received concerning the current system of financing student unions; and what further consideration he has given to the matter.
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy right hon. Friend has received a number of representations seeking to meet part or all of student union expenditure through voluntary subscriptions. However, it is too early to contemplate reversing the arrangements introduced this academic year for funding student unions in competition with other calls on the recurrent income of their parent institutions and returning to a system of subscriptions. Before introducing these arrangements the Government gave careful consideration to a wide variety of options. The one chosen alone reflected the position of the student union as an integral part of its parent institution as defined in charters, statutes and articles of Government which also entail automatic membership of the union on enrolment in the student body.
The new funding arrangements recognise that decisions on student union responsibilities must be taken locally and ensure that the cost is borne by the institution so closing the open-ended arrangements criticised by the Public Accounts Committee. There are already indications that the new arrangements are leading to greater cost-effectiveness.
§ 54. Mr. Rentonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further consideration he has given to the question of ultra vires activities of student unions.