Government Attitude

On the second main question: What is the standing of the University in the eyes of the Government? (I use the word 'government' to include the Government of any party), we ask whether the Government grants are, as Sir John Stopford is reported as saying, "meagre in the extreme" or, as Professor Dunham says relatively low in "the list of priorities for capital spending and even for ordinary government funds." Government knows, of course, that the country must have an adequate number of University graduates in order to staff the teaching profession, to provide scientists and also the [unclear: actising] members of various [unclear: professions], without whom the civilised life of the country could not continue. The University is assured [unclear: of] at least a minimum establishment which the Government knows must be maintained. Moreover, if Government wants more graduates for implementing any policy of its own, as it did when more medical graduates were required for the fulfilment of the Social Security scheme, Government will provide both capital and the recurrent expenditure which will be required. Furthermore, since World War II, Government has shown an increasing appreciation of the needs of the university. First, the re-current grants Have been substantially Increased so that, on a reasonable basis of comparison, they are now about the level of income for current expenditure of some of the provincial universities of Great Britain. Secondly, we have now the beginning, at least, of a policy of regular capital expenditure on urgently required large buildings. I would disagree emphatically with Sir John Stopford's criticism though I would agree with Professor Dunham's comment so far as it applies to capital expenditure prior to the recent authority for the plans for four major page 5 buildings. We shall see what priority is given to the construction of those buildings.