HC Deb 13 June 2002 vol 386 cc1415-6W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to increase the salaries of university lecturers. [60129]

Margaret Hodge

[holding answer 11 June 2002]The Government play no part in setting the levels of pay in the higher education sector. These are subject to regulations between employers, their staff and their representative trade union bodies.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she has taken to encourage more people to enter into a career as a university lecturer. [60130]

Margaret Hodge

[holding answer 11 June 2002]Our spending plans include £50 million in 2001–02, rising to £110 in 2002–03 and £170 million in 2003–04 to underpin the human resource strategies which each university and higher education college has submitted to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and which include measures to address issues of recruitment and retention, especially in shortage subjects. Added to that, we gave a commitment to introduce a scheme of "Golden Hellos" for new staff in shortage subjects. We expect to announce our plans in the autumn.