HC Deb 22 April 1991 vol 189 cc315-6W
Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list figures for(a) recurrent and (b) capital spending by the Government on (i) university libraries and (ii) polytechnic libraries and colleges of further education libraries, for each year since 1978–79 in (1) cash terms and (2) real terms indexed so that 1978–79 equals 100.

Mr. Alan Howarth

There is no earmarked public funding for book provision through either the higher education funding councils or specific grants for further education. It is for individual institutions to determine their expenditure within the total resources at their disposal.

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list figures for(a) recurrent spending and (b) capital spending by the Government on (1) universities and (2) polytechnics and colleges of higher education for each year since 1978–79 in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms, indexed so that 1978–79 equals 100.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Data from 1985–86 to 1990–91 are available from the departmental report (CM 1511) available in the House Library. Grants distributed on the advice of the Universities Grants Committee (UGC) for 1978–79 through to 1988–89 are given in the table along with central Government expenditure on other higher education.

Included under other higher education are those voluntary and direct grant colleges that became the responsibility of the PCFC from 1989–90, the Open university, Cranfield Institute of Technology, the Royal College of Art, British Academy postgraduate state studentships and other higher education grants.