To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the £600 million efficiency savings referred to on page 110 of the 2009 pre-Budget report, Cm 7747, will be found by (a) the Higher Education Funding Council for England and (b) each Research Council; and whether efficiency savings from the Research Councils will be re-allocated to the Research Councils. (307607)

The £600 million announcement was made in the pre-Budget report. This was not a spending review. The Government would not expect to decide the distribution of the figure at this stage. The Government will wish to make an informed decision on future funding against the background of Lord Browne’s independent review of higher education funding and student finance which will report next year. It will be looking at the wider funding and sustainability of the whole HE system. We will reflect on the review’s findings before setting budgets beyond 2010-11.