§ 37. Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the number of 371W places at universities in England and Wales during each of the past 10 years; how many were not filled; what was the number of new entrants during the same period; and what percentage were those figures in relation to the relevant age group.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsFollowing is the information:
The numbers of full time students in universities in England and Wales, together with the numbers of undergraduate new entrants (including entrants from overseas) and the latter as a percentage of relevant age group, in each of the last 10 years are shown in the following Table:
Academic Year Total number of fulltime students Total number of under-graduate new entrants New entrants as a percentage of the relevant age group 1958–59 … 83,028 23,846 4.3 1959–60 … 86,457 23,607 4.3 1960–61 … 89,170 24,812 4.3 1961–62 … 93,710 27,001 4.3 1962–63 … 98,431 28,279 4.2 1963–64 … 104,525 28,902 4.3 1964–65 … 113,428 32,214 4.6 1965–66 … 141,220 43,894 5.5 1966–67 … 154,964 44,909 5.7 1967–68 … 167,752 47,738 6.5 Available information on the number of unfilled places in universities is contained in the reports of the University Central Council on Admissions. The Council started full operations in the academic year 1963–64, and not all universities were then included in the scheme. Although the coverage of the scheme has since been extended it still does not include all universities, so statistical information is incomplete.