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A bumper 8.3 per cent pay rise for funding chief Sir Brian Fender lifted his salary to £144,000 in 1999-2000.

He earned more than twice as much money as anyone else on his staff except one individual who earned between £80,000 and £90,000, says the annual report of the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

The funding council recorded a net loss of £2.7 million as administration costs shot up 26 per cent to £12.6 million. The report attributed the rise to activities for the 2001 research assessment exercise and the funding council's taking on the Arts and Humanities Research Board.

Sir Brian is to retire next October.