To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he has taken to ensure that the most recent allocations of the Universities Funding Council and the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council for research equipment in universities and polytechnics match the investment recommended by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils; and if he will make a statement.

The allocation of grant to individual higher education institutions is the responsibility of the funding councils. The Universities Funding Council's allocations for equipment take into account relative research strengths. The Government's latest expenditure plans allow for further increases in spending on equipment.