HC Deb 10 November 2003 vol 413 c88W
Mr. Paul Farrelly

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the funding gap faced by universities in 2003–04. [137162]

Alan Johnson

The White Paper The future of higher education'highlighted studies showing that there was a need for some £8 billion of investment in infrastructure and referred to the continuing concerns about the ability of higher education institutions to recruit, retain and reward the best researchers. The funding announced in the White Paper and in the annual grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England provides annual increases in higher education funding in England of 6 per cent. above inflation in each of the years to 2005–06.

Paul Farrelly

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received from businesses on their preferred methods of contributing to more funding for teaching in universities. [137298]

Alan Johnson

None.