§ 43. Mrs. Joyce Butlerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will hold discussions with the 594 university authorities so as to ensure that students accepted for universities next autumn are notified of this before the end of August next year.
§ Mr. PrenticeMy main concern, and that of the universities, is that no place should be left unfilled if there is a qualified candidate to fill it. To ensure this, efforts to fill the last remaining vacancies are bound to continue right up to the beginning of the autumn term.
§ Mrs. ButlerIs my hon. Friend aware of how hard this present arrangement is on the many talented young people who, because of financial pressures, very often have to give up all thought of taking a university course during this period of uncertainty? Could he discuss with the universities whether they could finalise their arrangements earlier?
§ Mr. PrenticeThe main difficulty is that many university places are dependent on the G.C.E. results, and those results are not available until mid-August. After that, there is the fitting in to unfilled places of those who have not obtained their first choice. The Universities Central Council on Admissions is studying ways in which it may be able to expedite the process as much as possible, but there is this very tight period in which we have to operate.