§ Mr. Whiteheadasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the estimated full-time equivalent advanced and non-advanced level students attending (a) universities in the United Kingdom and (b) polytechnics in England in 1981–82 assumed in the public expenditure survey exercise and by the expenditure steering groups in the build-up of expenditure for purposes of the 1981–82 rate support grant.
§ Dr. BoysonAs explained in the Government's expenditure plans—Cmnd. 8175—the detailed implications of the plans for higher education are under discussion with the University Grants Committee and the local authority associations. No firm projection of student numbers has yet been made except in the case of home students in non-advanced further education. However provisional projections for home students on full-time and sandwich courses in higher education have been assumed for the purposes of estimating expenditure on student awards. The Expenditure Steering Group for Education (ESGE) based its forecasts for the 1981–82 rate support grant settlement on provision in the Government's earlier expenditure plans—Cmnd. 7841—adjusted to allow for actual enrolments in 1979–80. The relevant comparable figures are:
1981–82 Academic year Home students ('000) Cmnd. 8175 ESGE forecast Universities (full-time and sandwich), Great Britain *265 ‡ Polytechnics, England Advanced (full-time and sandwich) *108 103 Non-advanced (full-time equivalent) †9.5 9.5 * Underlying provisional projection for higher education. † Underlying firm projection for non-advanced further education. ‡ Not applicable.