HC Deb 09 July 2001 vol 371 cc385-6W
Dr. Kumar

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of equal opportunities policies for all staff in higher education institutions. [2333]

Margaret Hodge

Higher education institutions have submitted their human resource strategies to the Higher Education Funding Council for England so that it can allocate the extra £330 million the Government are providing over three years to support increases in academic and non-academic pay. To gain their share of this funding institutions need to demonstrate that their strategies include clear and practicable equal opportunities policies. The Equality Challenge Unit set up by the higher education funding councils and representative bodies will work directly with institutions to help them deliver the improvements in me monitoring and performance they have promised in their equal opportunities policy statements.