§ Mr. Baldryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is able to announce his decisions on local authority higher education provisions in 1985–86 and on the distribution of the advanced further education pool for 1985–86; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Keith JosephI have today written to the chairman of the committee of the National Advisory Body (NAB) accepting in its entirety its advice on the planned disposition of academic provision and of students in local authority higher education (LAHE) in 1985–86, and on the basis for distributing the advanced further education (AFE) quantum of £620 million for the financial year 1985–86 which I announced in the House on 12 November at column 57.
These plans provide for a further 3 per cent. growth overall in student numbers in LAHE compared with the targets set for 1984–85 and for maintenance of the thrust of the policies embodied in those targets; most notably, the preservation of student access and a continued shift in the 142W Government believe that the purchase of books is an area to which priority should be given, within the resources available, in all sectors of education.