Information on the closure, merger or opening of particular university departments is not collected by the Department. However, subjects like chemistry and physics are starting to become more popular and the measures we are taking to increase demand and the extra £75 million announced last year should help to sustain capacity as demand increases. Physics and chemistry are also taught as major subjects at some 50 and 70 UK institutions respectively. We have consistently made clear that if a physics or chemistry department closes at one institution, the Higher Education Funding Council for England should seek to maintain capacity elsewhere and we announced last year that the council should report to us on how provision can be maintained in this way.