HL Deb 27 February 1984 vol 448 cc1148-50WA
Baroness David

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will give the figures for the units of resource for different categories of institution and for different programme areas in the method funding in 1984–85 for public sector higher education institutions which come under the National Advisory Body; and whether they will explain the basis of different funding for different categories of institution.

The Earl of Swinton

The average net units of resource per weighted target student used in calculating allocations from the capped advanced further education (AFE) pool in England for 1984–85 were as follows:

Polytechnics £1,503
Other major institutions £1,289
Minor institutions £1,194

Note: These figures include provision for catering and residence subsidies but are net of London weighting and of fee or other income earned by institutions. Actual average allocations differ from these figures because of adjustments to protect the unit of resource in some major institutions.

The principle of different funding for different categories of institution was adopted by the NAB in its advice, and accepted by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State, in order to protect the position of the major AFE providers. The capped pool was therefore divided among the three categories in the same proportion as in 1983–84, before institutional allocations were calculated.

Within each of these categories, and subject to adjustments as appropriate to protect or limit the size of reduction in the unit of resource of individual institutions, the pool was distributed on the basis that each target student agreed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for 1984–85 should attract a unit of resource related to his programme (or subject) of study. The net cost weightings used for the calculations were:

Programme Net Weight
A Initial teacher training 1.4
B Other education 1.5
C Health 1.9
D Engineering 1.8
E Other technology 1.6
F Agriculture 1.4
G Science 1.9
H Mathematics and computing 2.1
I Management and business studies 1.2
J Social studies 1.3
K Professional studies 1.6
L Languages 1.2
M Humanities 1.0
N Art and design 1.9
Full details of the methodology used in the distribution of the capped AFE pool for 1984–85, and resulting allocations to individual authorities, available in the Library of the House.