That this House notes that Dr Peter Knight, the Director of Birmingham Polytechnic, chaired the employers' side in the recent negotiations with the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education resulting in an agreed contract for academic staff at polytechnics and other institutions; also notes that Dr Knight failed to recommend this agreement to the Board of governors of Birmingham Polytechnic and produced his own version of a contract for academic staff at this polytechnic; is not surprised that the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education has called for a national boycott of Birmingham Polytechnic in these circumstances; and urges the Board of Governors to arrange for urgent discussions with the trade union representatives of academic staff at Birmingham Polytechnic in an attempt to resolve this dispute in the interests of staff and students.

That this House notes that Dr Peter Knight, the Director of Birmingham Polytechnic, chaired the employers' side in the recent negotiations with the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education resulting in an agreed contract for academic staff at polytechnics and other institutions; also notes that Dr Knight...

That, bearing in mind that the survey conducted by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils revealed that an extra ??459 million is needed to fund scientific equipment to support research in United Kingdom universities and polytechnics, and noting that only 14 per cent. of the scientific equipment currently in use is considered state-of-the art, this House recommends that Her Majesty's Government should allocate total extra funding of ??100 million a year over the next five years to re-equip university and polytechnic laboratories in order to make good the neglect that is in danger of damaging the country's science base.

That, bearing in mind that the survey conducted by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils revealed that an extra ??459 million is needed to fund scientific equipment to support research in United Kingdom universities and polytechnics, and noting that only 14 per cent. of the scientific equipment currently in...