Labour’s £150 million investment into York’s higher education buildings

Wednesday 27 January

The University of York, York St Johns and York College have received more than £150 million over the last ten years to improve buildings and to buy equipment.

In a Parliamentary Question to the Government, I found that from 2000 to 2010, the University of York received £119.2 million of Government funding, York St John received £13.1 million and York College received £21.4 million.

This record investment in York’s higher education institutions has allowed them to provide world class education, training and research. This gives the city a highly skilled workforce, attracting new jobs and investment. The recent Cities Outlook 2010 report found that York coped better than other places in dealing with the downturn. On almost all the indicators – high investment, high skills, a low level of inequality and low unemployment compared to elsewhere – we are in the top ten cities in Britain alongside Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh, which like York have exceptional universities and colleges.

I have written to the Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary, Peter Mandelson, to invite him to come to York to see what the Government’s investment in the York’s higher and further education has achieved.