asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he plans to increase funding for the polytechnics in the next academic year.

The distribution of the advanced further education capped pool for the 1983–84 financial year, as announced by my right hon. Friend on 22 December last—(Official Report, Vol. 34, c. 528)—provides for polytechnics nationally to receive the same cash total of funding (some £371 million) in 1983–84 as in 1982–83.