The Government is fully committed to maintaining the UK’s world-leading science, research and higher education base.

According to Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data, the University of Chichester in West Sussex received public research funding, from Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Research Councils, of £802,000 in 2015/16. HESA data shows that 19 institutions in the South East, which includes the universities of Oxford, Southampton and Reading, but excludes London, received a total of £544 million of public research funding in 2015/16.

The Autumn Statement 2016 announcement of an extra £2 billion a year in research and development by 2020- 21 underlines the place of science and innovation at the heart of this Government’s industrial strategy.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills works with its partners to ensure investments are directed to areas in which the UK excels and has potential to excel. UK Trade and Investment helps identify foreign markets of strategic importance. Innovate UK and the Catapult Centres work to commercialise new and emerging technologies in areas where there are significant global market opportunities and a critical mass of UK capability. Through the recently announced Science and Innovation Audits, the Government will work with universities, cities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and businesses to map strengths and identify potential areas of strategic focus for different areas.

There are no publicly funded bursaries or scholarships available to students based on the subject to be studied. Universities and colleges typically provide such bursaries or scholarships to students using their own resources. The Government does not collect data on the type of bursaries available or the eligibility conditions.

In 2012 the Government introduced the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) to promote access to higher education among disadvantaged students. Only students whose family income is no greater than £25,000 per annum are eligible for an award. However, institutions are able to set their own local criteria to further target awards in a way that best meets the needs of their students. There is no requirement for institutions to target their awards by subject. Data collected by the Higher Education Funding Council for England show that 18 institutions have used subject as an eligibility criteria, although no information is available to show which subjects are involved or the value of those awards.

The Government contributed £50 million to the NSP in 2012/13 and £100 million in 2013/14. On 28 November 2013 we announced that we were reducing Government's planned contribution in 2014/15 from £150 million to £50 million. From 2015/16 the NSP will cease as an undergraduate scheme with £50 million being re-focused to provide support to postgraduate students from less advantaged backgrounds.

Data on academic departments is not available; the closest approximation is the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) defined cost centres which have been structured to broadly align to an institution’s academic departments.

Data provided by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) showing the number of students enrolled at English HE institutions by institution of study and cost centre for the academic years 2001/02, 2010/11 and 2011/12 has been provided in the tables which will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Information for earlier years is not available on a comparable basis.

We do not have estimates of demand for each graduate subject. However, the Working Futures 2012 report, published by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES)¹, estimates that:

(a) 723,000 science, research engineering and technology professionals will be required between 2010 and 2020; and

(b) 194,000 science, engineering and technology associate professional will be required over the same period.¹ Working Futures 2010-20 revised August 2012: UKCES evidence report 41 by Institute for Employment Studies and Cambridge Econometrics.

Note:

The report is based on a forecast model which utilises a range of labour market data and a complex macroeconomic model. The 2012 report is the fourth in the series.

In both cases the bulk of this demand comes from people retiring who will need replacing.

These figures are broad indications of demand based on a number of complex assumptions. Previous Working Futures reports have shown similar levels of demand for these occupations.

These occupations will be filled by people from higher education, further education, higher apprenticeships, from unemployment and inactivity, from career changes and from migration.

The information is given in the table.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on qualifiers from UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Information on the number of UK, EU and Non-EU domiciled students qualifying from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses from UK HEIs for

the academic years 2009/10 to 2011/12 is provided in the following table.

Information for the academic year 2012/13 will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.