asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average annual current expenditure allocated by the University Grants Committee (a) on arts students and (b) on engineering students in a university in the last year for which figures are available.

The estimated average net recurrent expenditure by universities per student in the 1984–85 academic year was £3,930 for arts subjects and £6,070 for engineering subjects. The UGC's recurrent grant is, however, allocated on a different basis, as described in its circular letters 22/85 and 6/87, copies of which are in the Library.