Launch of National Skills Academy Training Centre.

Arts Council cuts to funding of theatres and theatre companies.

Higher education – universities with arts courses bear the brunt

More than one in 10 universities is braced to see public funding wiped out, according to Labour figures.

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent of The Daily Telegraph: 6:00AM GMT 05 Nov 2010

In last month’s spending review, George Osborne announced that the teaching budget for the country’s 208 higher education establishments would be cut from £7.1billion to £4.2billion by 2014.

Analysis of the Government’s plans – commissioned by Labour – shows that, overall, the biggest loser in cash terms is the Open University, which will see its £149million budget cut by £109million.

The next biggest budget cuts will come at Nottingham Trent, whose £77million funding will fall by £67million, followed by Sheffield Hallam, with cuts of £63million.

Of the universities that are not former polytechnics, Leeds will suffer the biggest cuts — £57million from a budget of £108million. Oxford is losing £29million and Cambridge £27million.

Courses such as medicine, engineering and the sciences which involve high costs will continue to receive some funding. But institutions that offer only courses relating to arts will receive no money.

The London School of Economics, the School of Oriental and Asian Studies, the Royal Academy of Music and 19 other universities and higher education institutions will see their public funding reduced to zero.

A spokesman for the Department for Business said the figures, produced by the House of Commons library, were inaccurate, adding: “We cannot verify the figures - the information is incorrect.” He said the figures failed to include tuition fees already being paid by students. They also did not take into account cuts which are also being made to a lesser degree to science courses.

Biggest cuts in terms of cash:
1. Open University £109m
2. Nottingham Trent University £66m
3. Sheffield Hallam University £63m
4. Leeds Metropolitan University £61m
5. Manchester Metropolitan University £60m
6. University of Leeds £57m
7. University of Manchester £55m
8. University of the West of England £55m
9. University of Central Lancashire £52m
10. Liverpool John Moores University £48m

Universities losing all funding:
Bishop Grosseteste College
Central School of Speech and Drama
York St John University College
College of St Mark and St John
Harper Adams University College
University of Winchester
Newman College of Higher Education
Rose Bruford College
Royal Academy of Music
Royal College of Music
Royal Northern College of Music
Trinity Laban
Goldsmiths College
London School of Economics and Political Science
The School of Oriental and African Studies
Norwich School of Art and Design
Conservatoire for Dance and Drama
Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies
Courtauld Institute of Art
Heythrop College
Leeds College of Music
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
University College, Falmouth

More information at The Daily Telegraph

More on new Arts Council Funding arrangements here.