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2002-2003
THE PARLIAMENT OF
THE COMMONWEALTH OF
AUSTRALIA
SENATE
HIGHER
EDUCATION LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL
2003
SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY
MEMORANDUM
Amendments to be moved on behalf
of the Government
(Circulated by authority of the
Minister for Education, Science and Training the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP)
HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION
AMENDMENT BILL 2003
The Bill as introduced amended the Higher Education Funding Act
1988 and the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (ARCA).
Item 15 of Schedule 2 to the Bill as introduced inserts a new subsection
50(1A) in the ARCA which has the effect of providing that the Minister may
specify in a determination under subsection 50(1) [dealing with the division of
funding caps between different categories of research programs] proportions in a
specified range for each of two or more categories of research programs set out
in the determination.
These amendments will limit the range the
Minister may specify for each of two or more categories of research programs set
out in the determination to a maximum of 5% above or below a specified single
percentage of the funding cap.
These amendments will not cause any direct financial
impacts.
HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION AMENDMENT
BILL 2003
Amendment (1)
Amends new subsection 50(1A) to be
inserted by Item 15 of Schedule 2 to the Bill by providing that the range of
proportions of categories of research programs the Minister may specify in a
determination under subsection 50(1) is not more than 5% above or below a
specified single percentage of the funding cap (the specified
percentage).
For example the maximum permissible funding split
range the Minister could determine for research program category X with a
specified percentage of 50% of available appropriations, would be 45%-55%. A
determination such as 44%-56% for category X would not be permitted.