22. Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has regarding the numbers of persons who applied for admission to Scottish universities in the current session, and the numbers who were successful in obtaining places.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThe provisional number of new entrants to Scottish universities this October is 9,513. I have no information as to how many people applied for admission to Scottish universities this year.
Mr. TaylorDoes not the absence of this information hide the fact that Scottish students find it extremely difficult to get into English universities, although many English students enter Scottish universities? As this stems from a different educational examination system, will the hon. Lady look at this to see whether we can have fair play?
§ Mrs. WilliamsThe Scots are able to claim fair play, since the increase in university entrance to Scottish universities has been 8 per cent. in the last year, and for Great Britain as a whole, 6.5 per cent., so the Scots are doing pretty well.
§ Mr. HannanWill my hon. Friend pay no regard to the newly acquired nationalism of the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor), but urge Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Universities to join in the U.C.C.A. scheme, which could benefit entrance to universities?
§ Mrs. WilliamsMy hon. Friend has the point. Our difficulty in providing statistics is, of course, that a number of Scottish universities are not members of the U.C.C.A. and a number of Scottish candidates do not apply through it. The universities are autonomous—this, is for them and not for us—but I take notice of what my hon. Friend says, which would simplify the position considerably.