§ Mr. Marks asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number and percentage of qualified applicants failing to obtain admission to universities in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981.
§ Mr. Waldegrave:From all home applicants to United Kingdom universities the Universities Central Council on Admissions—UCCA—defines a "real field" comprising those desiring to go to university and at least minimally qualified to do so. This field excludes those who decide not to accept the offer of a place or who reapply in subsequent years. For some applicants there are doubts about their real intentions and so the council has defined applicants certainly in the real field plus another group who are possibly within it. The table below gives the estimated numbers and percentages of those in the real field who were not accepted for entry in 1978, 1979 and 1980. Information for 1981 is not yet available.
1978 1979 1980 Applicants certainly in real field Number not accepted 8,300 9,100 9,100 As percentage of total such applicants 10 11 10 Applicants certainly or possibly in real field Number not accepted 18,400 22,400 22,000 As percentage of total such applicants 20 23 22