§ Sir Trevor Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what account was taken when deciding to reduce Government funding of the University Grants Committee by 2 per cent. per annum of the trends in outgoings in the scientific sector.
§ Mr. WaldenMy right hon. Friend takes all relevant factors into account in considering the future funding of the universities. The suggested reduction in funding of 2 per cent. a year is a planning hypothesis adopted not by my right hon. Friend but by the University Grants Committee to give it some flexibility in allocating resources between institutions and some room for manoeuvre in relation to future levels of inflation. The Government's expenditure plans for 1986–87 to 1988–89 provide for a reduction in funding for the universities of about 1 per cent. a year compared with expected inflation over the same period.