§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is in 1988 moneys the annual expenditure in civil research of the United Kingdom universities since 1974.
Mr. JacksonThe Department funds civil research in the universities through grants-in-aid to the research 445W councils and the University Grants Committee's block grant. Where the latter is concerned, only a notional attribution of resources committed to research can be made, since universities' research activities and other expenditure (including teaching) cannot be clearly distinguished. The figures in the following table are therefore necessarily approximate.
No figures are available for the notional attribution to research of UGC funding prior to 1977–78. Since 1977–78, approximate total expenditure, at constant 1988–89 prices as measured by the GDP deflator, on civil research at United Kingdom universities through the research councils and the UGC is as follows:
£ million 1977–78 741 1978–79 763 1979–80 800 1980–81 840 1981–82 838 1982–83 860 1983–84 859 1984–85 845 1985–86 848 1986–87 863 1987–88 856 1988–89 867 Sources: Annual Reviews of Government Funded R and D 1983–87.
For 1986–87—Appropriation Accounts.
For 1987–88 and 1988–89—Supply Estimates.
Statistics on funding of research in universities by other Government Departments can be found in the annual reviews of Government funded R and D.