§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has for the provision of grant-in-aid to the British Academy. [149832]
§ Mr. WicksSubject to Parliament's approval of the Main Supply Estimates, we intend to allocate to the British Academy a maximum of £36,441,000 for the financial year 2001–02. The level of grant for 2001–02 reflects the outcome of the Government's Spending Review. It takes into account the arrangements for the payment of grant through the academy of the arts and Humanities Research Board for postgraduate awards and694W for those in certain professional and vocational subjects. The grant for 2001–02 fully takes into account the uprating needed to increase maintenance grants for doctoral students. The Arts and Humanities Research Board should increase these grants to a minimum of £7,500 in 2001–02, in line with the Secretary of State's commitment last summer that arts and humanities stipends would be raised in line with those for science, with a minimum level of £9,000 by 2003–04. The grant also includes the additional £750,000 for the British School at Rome.