HC Deb 06 May 1986 vol 97 cc13-4
16. Mr. Chapman

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of the total number of students in higher and further education; and how this compares with previous years.

Mr. Walden

The numbers of students have been increasing and in higher education are now at their highest ever level. I have arranged for the detailed figures since 1979 to be published in the Official Report.

Mr. Chapman

Will my hon. Friend confirm, more specifically, that the number of full-time students in higher and further education has increased by over 13 per cent. in the past six years, and that that, in spite of much misleading propaganda, is a trend worthy of commendation rather than condemnation?

Mr. Walden

I am glad to have this chance to put the record straight, following earlier exchanges. The numbers of students in higher education since the Government came into office in 1979 are 80,000 up. The proportion of 18 and 19-year-olds entering higher education is 15 per cent. up and the numbers of mature students — an important category—are 12 per cent. up. If those are cuts, they sound very kind cuts to me.

Following are the figures:

spending in secondary schools? Does he not agree that if Londoners are interested in the welfare and education standards of their children they should vote Labour in the local elections on Thursday?

Mr. Patten

Life is difficult enough without trying to explain the Liberal party to the hon. Gentleman, but I do not agree with his figures. Under this Government spending per pupil on books and equipment has gone up by 8 per cent. for primary schoolchildren and by 5 per cent. for secondary schoolchildren. Expenditure on books and equipment per pupil fell by 7.3 per cent. in real terms between 1975 and 1979.

Mr. Barron

Does the Minister's answer take into account last year's HMI report on books in schools, which said that one third of schools were under-provided with books?

Mr. Patten

What the HMI report actually said was that poor management and inadequate identification of needs were a more common cause of the shortage of books and equipment than low capitation.