UNIVERSITY SALARIES

Early day motion 1540, tabled 31 January 2006 by Gordon Marsden (Labour). Signed by 194 members.

That this House believes universities, and the staff who work within them, are a valuable part of society and the economy; applauds how well university staff have performed in addressing the many challenges in the sector over the last two decades, not least the expansion in student numbers; notes with concern that student-staff ratios have increased by nearly 150 per cent., so that whereas one lecturer taught nine students in 1976, they now on average teach 21; remains concerned that university salaries are still uncompetitively low despite this improved productivity and the recent increases in funding for higher education; supports the Association of University Teachers and NATFHE, the university and college lecturers' union, in their campaign for at least a third of additional future income from top-up fees and other sources to be invested in university staff salaries; and urges university vice chancellors to make their staff a priority and to seek a settlement to the current pay dispute which is in the interests of staff, students and the country as a whole.

Signatures by party: Labour 131, Liberal Democrat 42, Conservative 8, DUP 6, Plaid Cymru 2, Independent 1, Respect 1, Scottish National Party 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1, UUP 1.