§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what response he has sent to the recent AUT/London University Institute of Education joint paper on the involvement of academic staff in the wider economy. [118430]
§ Mr. WicksThe Government are already encouraging universities to forge links with the wider economy. The DfEE and DTI are funding, in partnership with the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment in Northern Ireland, the Higher Education Reach-out to Business and the Community Fund. Around £83 million is expected to be spent over six financial years. The fund aims to achieve systematic and sustainable change within universities and in how they relate to business through, for example, establishing centres of expertise in business links within universities, and training and development for staff, including programmes of staff exchange.