§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the level of public funding per student in (a) universities and (b) polytechnics in each of the last three years; and what proportion of the total funding on higher education has been spent on (a) universities and (b) polytechnics in the same period.
§ Mr. Peter Brooke[pursuant to his reply, 13 December 1983]: The net institutional average recurrent costs per student in each of the last three years for which firm figures are available are estimated as follows:
1979–80 £ cash 1980–81 £ cash 1981–82 £ cash Polytechnics—England (financial years) 2,510 2,990 3,120 Universities (Great Britain) (academic years) 3,340 4,110 4,400 The proportion of total funding in advanced further and higher education that has been spent on universities and polytechnics in the same period may be estimated as follows:
1979–80 Per cent. 1980–81 Per cent. 1981–82 Per cent. Polytechnics—England and Wales 16 15 15 Universities (Great Britain) 44 44 43 This analysis is based on the Department's programmes for advanced further and higher education as published in the Government's Expenditure Plans 1983–84 to 1985–86 (Cmnd. 8789). The totals to which these percentages relate therefore include expenditure on student awards as well as the funding of other institutions.