§ Mr. Evennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps his Department is taking to encourage private financing of universities and polytechnics.
§ Mr. BrookeThe Government are anxious to encourage higher education to raise more of its income from industrial and private sources.
My right hon. Friend announced in March Government plans to free polytechnics and local authority colleges to sell their expertise to industry and commerce through consultancy and research work. Consultation has shown those plans to be generally welcome and the necessary legislation will be introduced when the parliamentary timetable permits.
There are no similar constraints on the universities and the University Grants Committee has made it clear that success in raising income from private sources will not lead to reductions in UGC grant allocations. My right hon. Friend is considering what further measures may be appropriate in the light of advice he has received from the University Grants Committee and the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development.