HC Deb 06 March 1989 vol 148 cc398-9W
Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish tables showing for each EEC country, the United States of America, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and such other OECD countries for which data are available (1) the estimated per annum(a) total cost and (b) cost to public funds of (i) tuition, and (ii) maintenance in respect of courses in universities and other institutions of higher education of United Kingdom first-degree standard, (2) the average length of courses in each country, (3) the wastage rate, and (4) the estimated cost to public funds of (i) tuition and (ii) maintenance of each successful graduate.

Mr. Jackson

The readily available information is given below and covers public expenditure on higher education as a whole. Data on wastage rates are not generally available.

(2) what will be the costs of rationalisation of veterinary education at (a) the university of Liverpool, (b) Bristol university and (c) the university of London; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what will be the effect on staff and pupil numbers of monies expended in rationalising veterinary education in Scotland; and if he will make a statement;

(4) what will be the effects on the total numbers of staff and pupils of the proposals to rationalise veterinary education in England; and if he will make a statement;

(5) what costs will be incurred by the rationalisation of veterinary education in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson

The available information is in the University Grants Committee report "Veterinary Education into the 21st Century", a copy of which is in the Library. The principal recommendations are to reduce the number of veterinary schools from six to four by merger of the Glasgow and Edinburgh schools on the Edinburgh site, and the cessation of para-clinical and clinical teaching at the Cambridge school; and that each of the four schools should, principally through redistribution of posts, have a clinical staff of 36 and have the capacity for an intake of 75–85 home students, a total of 300–335. Current intakes are towards the bottom of this range. The 1987 intake totalled 306 with the following figures for individual schools: Bristol—42; Cambridge—41; Edinburgh—54; Glasgow—54; Liverpool—45; and London—70. The report estimates the cost of the recommended rationalisation to be some £20 million.

These recommendations are currently out for consultation. Decisions will be taken by the new Universities Funding Council which takes over full funding responsibilities for universities on 1 April.

Mr. Bermingham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list the representations he has received concerning proposals to terminate paraclinical and clinical teaching at the veterinary school at Cambridge; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what representations he has received concerning proposals for the closure of the veterinary school at Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson

In respect of each proposal, we have received about 300 letters, including many from hon. Members. In addition, I am meeting some hon. Members.