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.
