HC Deb 05 August 1965 vol 717 cc1863-4
20. Mr. Edward M. Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the numbers of students attending universities in Scotland during each of the past five years.

Mr. Crosland

As the information requested involves a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The figures rise from about 18,500 in 1960 to over 22,600 in October 1964.

Mr. Taylor

Would the Minister accept that there are increasing worries on both sides of the House that if this is the rate of increase we shall be turning away large numbers by 1970? Is he aware that these worries have been increased by his noble Friend in another place when he indicated yesterday that the Robbins estimate for 1975 would be achieved by 1970? Could the right hon. Gentleman give some indication of the extent to which Scotland will be exempt from these cuts? Will it be only those universities which are actually in the development areas that will be excluded?

Mr. Crosland

On the last part of the supplementary Question, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee will be totally exempt from the cuts. On the first part of the question, there is, of course, bound to be anxiety whether we can accommodate not just the Robbins figures but people be- yond those figures who fulfil the Robbins criterion and are qualified and wish to have higher education. All I can say is that we are determined to fulfil this requirement.

The information is as follows: The total numbers of full-time students attending university institutions in Scotland during each of the past five years are as follows:
Academic Year
1960–61 18,529
1961–62 19,433
1962–63 20,573
1963–64 21,921
1964–65 (provisional) 22,674
In the course of the academic year 1964–65 the Glasgow College of Commerce has been merged in the University of Strathclyde and the Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh, was added to the University Grants Committee grant list in accordance with the recommendations of the Robbins Report. The figures given in the table are exclusive of the number of students added by these two institutions.