Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) agreed to change the terms of the 2010 Prospectus to require the University of Cumbria to make payments amounting to £3.4million for shared use of the Newton Rigg campus under an Occupancy Agreement; and what account was taken by the SFA when agreeing to change those terms of the original prospectus' provision for the shared use of those assets for the sum of £1 if demanded.

Commercial arrangements between two independent organisations, Askham Bryan College and the University of Cumbria, were entered into by both parties. This allowed the university to continue using Newton Rigg Campus for research related activities following the transfer of further education provision to Askham Bryan College in 2011.