§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of Stale for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure that additional funding will be made available to ensure that the management side of the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee (Further Education) is able to fund an award to lecturers of an equivalent value to that given recently to school teachers.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe level of pay awards to lecturers in further and higher education in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish joint negotiating committee (further education), and it is for the management side to negotiate within limits of what can be afforded. On 9 December 1987, my right hon. and learned Friend announced an increase in resources for additional running costs at the centrally funded Colleges in 1988–89 and I understand that a settlement was reached for that sector at the SJNC meeting on 8 January. For local authority expenditure we have already announced a realistic rate support grant settlement for 1988–89 which provides for a 9 per cent. increase in resources over the settlement for 1987–88 and, on 8 January, a formal offer was made by the management side which the teachers' side is now considering.