§ 35. Mr. RammellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the future level of funding for universities. [152585]
§ Mr. WicksMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced last November increases of £412 million, £268 million and £298 million over 2001–02 to 2003–04 for higher education in England: between 1998–99 and 2003–04 the total additional funding will be over £1.7 billion. For the first time in over a decade the unit of funding per full-time equivalent student will increase in real terms in 2001–02 and expansion will be fully funded in the following two years.
There is also additional funding for research. In July 2000 the Government announced £1 billion in funding for improvements in research infrastructure, available to institutions in 2002–03 and 2003–04. Universities will be able to bid for part of an extra £250 million provided by Office of Science and Technology for research into genomics, e-science and basic technology.