§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement of the finance available from public funds for Leicester polytechnic; and what special provision will be made(a) to re-open a building which has had to be closed on grounds of safety; (b) to prevent further closures on such grounds; to bring the general stock of buildings into a reasonable state of repair.
Mr. JacksonThe allocation of public funds to Leicester polytechnic is the responsibility of the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council (PCFC). I understand that the Cumberland street annexe building, which was closed on safety grounds in June 1989, has been replaced by accommodation in a larger and more suitable 113W building with the aid of a specific allocation of £700,000 from the PCFC's contingency fund. The safety and state of repair of the buildings is essentially the responsibility of the polytechnic itself.