Calendar: 1975-1976 Page 402

XXX Annual Report of the Delegacy will come about in the very near future But what we have to do is look honestly at the problem of mixed residence in halls without blinkers Some people seem to think the essence of it is whether it is right or not to facilitate cohabitation If this is part of the problem at all it is in my view not the main part There are people with deep respect for chastity who none the less believe that the arguments for mixed halls deserve attention and am one of them am bound to add that when was an undergraduate would have run like rabbit from the threat of mixed residence but this could again be because person is the product of his experience was the only son of widowed mother with four sisters This idea in King's need not be an apple of discord It is more like an onion with several skins to be peeled off before we approach the heart of the matter On the question of maintenance grants we must very soon now know what the Government has in mind We have at last the promise of an annual review-and high time too If the salary of professor or principal is reviewed yearly because of the pressure of inflation how could it ever have been argued that student grants deserved review only every third year As for the basic level of grant although the Government has not rejected the Anderson principle that the State should meet the whole maintenance cost of student at University and considerable increase should soon be announced it would need an unusual degree of optimism to be confident that the basic London rate would rise to level that satisfies everybody But we do now at least have the assurance of annual review Meanwhile we are doing what we can here in King's by good housekeeping and the use for example of vacation lettings to limit rises in hall fees to the minimum We have always managed up to now to keep hall fees well within the notional element in the maintenance grant for board and lodging and we are still doing this even though fees for the next session have had to be put up over those for last October They have risen from £254 to £288 per annum They are still within the notional element for board and lodging as far as this can be calculated even before the in- crease in grant we expect By comparison in the eight intercollegiate halls in London fees at an average level of £268 last October are rising to an average of £322 in October 1974 Ours have been fixed at £288 only hope we can continue to offer students in our halls of residence good board and lodging in pleasant places conducive to their work and to the other pursuits that bring them here at less cost than worse lodging outside This will not be easy but we shall devote all the care