§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many officials in his Department are engaged(a) full-time and (b) part-time in compiling, distribution and analysis of his Department's questionnaire on automatic student union membership; and what is the estimated cost of the exercise.
Mr. JacksonThe Department's current work on student unions is being undertaken by a team of five full-time officials, who include student affairs among their normal responsibilities. It is not possible to estimate the proportion of their time spent on, or the cost of, the particular activities to. Responses to the questionnaire were requested by today and the task of analysis has not therefore begun.
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science to which individuals, student unions or other 469W organisations the results of his Department's investigation on automatic student union membership will be distributed; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonI refer to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Mr. Janman) on 18 April, column292, in which he said that on the basis of information collected during the survey of a sample of institutions he would reach conclusions on the best action to take and would then consult all concerned about those conclusions. Those to be consulted will depend on the conclusions which are reached.