HC Deb 07 December 1967 vol 755 cc362-3W
51. Mr. J. H. Osborn

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many places in universities are allocated to students studying arts subjects, as against scientific, technological and engineering subjects in the current year; what percentage each category represents of the total number of students; and what estimates he has made of total numbers and percentages for each of the next three years.

Mr. Gordon Walker

The selection of students is a matter for individual universities. Of the total university population of just over 184,000 full-time students in Great Britain in 1966–67 the most recent year for which full figures are available, about 81,300 (44 per cent.) were in arts, social studies and education, while the remainder about 103,000 (56 per cent.) were in Science-based departments.

The Government have recently made financial provision for an estimated total of between 220,000 and 225,000 university students in 1971–72. In making their financial allocations for the quinquennium, the University Grants Committee have, in view of the present "A" level trends, assumed that the student load in science-based departments will rise by about 16 per cent. compared with 27 per cent. in arts based subjects. The actual student distribution in 1971–72 will depend on a number of factors, but the rough percentage split may be about 54 per cent. in science-based subjects and 46 per cent. in arts-based subjects.

Mr. van Straubenzee

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the detailed information relating to uncompleted courses by university students contained in Table 26 of the Statistics of Education 1966, Volume 5, is not already available.

Mr. Gordon Walker

Information on the results achieved by students holding full value awards has been published in "Statistics of Education" in as much detail as it has been collected by my Department from local education authorities. There are practical limits to the degree of detail which it is possible to include in this type of questionnaire addressed to local education authorities. The results of the survey by the University Grants Committee which I mentioned in my Answer to the hon. Member on 28th November are not yet available because the time limit for answers to the questionnaire sent to universities only expired on 30th November and these answers have still to be analysed.—[Vol. 755, c. 77–8.]