HC Deb 10 March 1999 vol 327 cc216-7W
Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the amount of funding per student in higher education in Durham in the last five years. [74976]

Mr. Mudie

The following tables show, for each of the last five years, public funding per student at the University of Durham from recurrent grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and tuition fees paid from public funds.

Consistent data for the five years concerned are not available. For the years 1994–95 to 1996–97, the figures are based on data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the unit of funding is in respect of full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students combined. For 1997–98 to 1998–99, the figures are based on data from the HEFCE and the unit of funding is in respect of full-time undergraduate students.

Table 1
Academic year Public funds 1(£ million) Students 2(Thousand) Funding per student (£)
1994–95 40.7 7.9 5,150
1995–96 42.4 8.0 5,300
1996–97 44.0 8.4 5,240
1 HESA 'Resources of Higher Education Institution'. Published in June 1996, June 1997 and May 1998
2 HESA 'Students in Higher Education Institution', published May 1996, July 1997 and June 1998
Table 2
Academic year Public funds 1(£ million) Students 2(Thousand) Funding per Student (£)
1997–98 42.4 7.9 5,370
1998–99 45.1 8.1 5,570
1 HEFCE recurrent funding circulars in February 1997 and March 1998
2 Student numbers are those with the University's maximum aggregate student number (MaSN)—Predominantly full-time undergraduate students

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many mature students entered higher education in Durham in each year since 1995. [74978]

Mr. Mudie

The information is given in the following table.

Mature 1 entrants to higher education courses at the University of Durham
Year Mature entrants2
1995–96 1,860
1996–97 1,310
1997–98 1,470
1Mature students are defined as postgraduates aged 25 and over and undergraduates aged 21 and over.
2The numbers are census counts of enrolments, at 1 December, onto the first year of both full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate HE courses.

Note:

Provisional higher education entrant figures for 1998–99 will be available in April 1999