HC Deb 08 July 2003 vol 408 cc767-8W
Mr. Peter Robinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) academics and (b) other staff were employed by (i) the Queens University of Belfast and (ii) the University of Ulster, broken down by gender, within the salary bands (A) less than £20,000, (B) £20,000 to £29,999, (C) £30,000 to £39,999, (D) £40,000 to £49,999, (E) £50,000 to £59,999, (F) £60,000 and above in the last five financial years. [123797]

Jane Kennedy

Information on academic and academic related staff employed at Queen's University, Belfast and the University of Ulster is collected and provided to the Department for Employment and Learning by the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA). Information on non-academic staff is not available within the Department. Information on salary bands is provided by HESA in a format which relates to academic years.

The attached tables provide salary information of academic and academic related staff employed over the last five academic years.

Mr. Peter Robinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many university places were available in Northern Ireland in 2002–03; how many students left Northern Ireland for universities(a) elsewhere in the UK, (b) in the Irish Republic and (c) in Europe in 2002–03; and how many students took a university placement in Northern Ireland from (i) elsewhere in the UK, (ii) the Irish Republic and (iii) the rest of Europe. [122536]

Jane Kennedy

The Department for Employment and Learning sets an annual upper limit, known as the Maximum Student Number (MaSN) on the number of home and EU students who may be enrolled on full-time undergraduate courses and on postgraduate courses of initial teacher training (ITT). The MaSN does not, however, apply to non-EU overseas full-time undergraduate students or those for whom a National Health Bursary may be payable. For 2002–03, the combined MaSN total for the Northern Ireland universities was 22,941, including a 1 per cent. flexibility margin.

The only Departmental constraint on postgraduate places applies to those applying for postgraduate awards.

There is no prescribed limit on part-time undergraduate places.

Information on the take up of places in 2002–03 will not be available within the Department until mid-December 2003.