HC Deb 17 October 1995 vol 264 cc240-1W
Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many postgraduate students during the current academic year received the maximum contribution towards their bills; and what percentage this was of the total number of post-graduates; [37303]

(2) what proportion of British postgraduate students during the last academic year received a state grant for maintenance. [37249]

Mr. Forth

Information is not available in the form requested.

In the academic year 1993–94, the latest year for which data are available, there were 43,800 postgraduate award holders in the United Kingdom—22 per cent. of the postgraduate population. Information on the level of maintenance paid is not collected by the Department for all these award holders.

Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many postgraduate students during the last academic year received support from access funds; and what was the average level of support. [37250]

Mr. Forth

Information for the last academic year will be available later in the year.

During the academic year 1993–94, 9,267 postgraduate students at higher education institutions in England received support from the access funds. On average, these students receive £463 each.

Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what estimate her Department has of the average amount of the careers development loans currently held by postgraduates. [37254]

Mr. Forth

The average loan amount for career development loans approved for postgraduates currently in training is £4,429.39.

Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of British postgraduates during the last academic year paid their own tuition fees. [37302]

Mr. Forth

Figures for the academic year 1994–95 show that at 31 December 1995 there were 231,000 United Kingdom-domiciled postgraduates—full time and part time in UK higher education institutions, including the Open university, of whom 35 per cent. paid their own tuition fees.

Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what estimate her Department has of the number of postgraduate students in British universities during the last academic year; and what proportion of these students were British born and educated. [37301]

Mr. Forth

Figures for the academic year 1994–95 show that at 31 December 1995, there were 290,000 full-time and part-time postgraduate students in United Kingdom higher education institutions, including the Open university, of which 80 per cent. were domiciled in the UK.