§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many universities and polytechnics are known to his Department to have cash flow problems; if he will list them; and if he will make a statement on the practice of funds being made available three months in arrears.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe management of cash flow is for individual universities, polytechnics and colleges. Detailed information is not collected centrally. Under the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1990, local education authorities must pay termly instalments of tuition fees promptly. The funding councils aim to take the general incidence of fee and other income into account in determining the profiles for their monthly payments of grant.