§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many places were available in (a) universities and (b) polytechnics in 1982; how many will be available in 1983; and what was the level of demand for these places in both years.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe number of places available at universities and polytechnics is not known as there are no fixed targets for student entry. It is provisionally estimated that there were 79,000 undergraduate and 27,000 postgraduate full-time new entrants to universities in Great Britain in October 1982. No similar information is yet available for the polytechnics alone; but it is provisionally estimated that there were 101,000 full-time and 98,000 part-time new entrants to advanced courses in all establishments of further education in England in October 1982.
A total of 171,500 candidates applied through the universities central council on admissions for entrance to universities in the United Kingdom in 1982–83. According to the council, the number of applications received by 1 November 1982 for entry in 1983–84 was 4 per cent. up over the corresponding period for the previous year. No comparable information is available for the polytechnics.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science in which subjects demand for university and polytechnic places has (a) increased and (b) decreased in the most recent convenient period.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe following table gives, in respect of the universities, those subjects for which the numbers of candidates applying through the universities central council on admissions for entry in 1982 had(a) increased by more than 5 per cent. and (b) decreased by more than 5 per cent. since 1981. An analysis over a different period would show different subjects. The subjects are those named as first choice by candidates on their application form. Similar information for the polytechnics is not available.
82W(a) Increase in candidates greater than 5 per cent.
- Dentistry
- Mining
- Metallurgy
- Surveying
- Agricultural chemistry
- Biology
- Botany
- Zoology
- Physiology/anatomy
- Biochemistry
- General and combined biological sciences
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Geology
- Combinations of biological and physical sciences
- Geography
- Accountancy
- Government and public administration
- Sociology
- Combinations of arts and social sciences, home, hotel and institutional management
- Welsh and the Celtic languages and studies
- Hispanic languages and studies
- Russian language and studies
- Other Slavonic and East European language and studies
- Oriental, Asian and African language and studies
- Classical studies
- Combinations of arts and languages
- History
- Archaeology
- Philosophy
- Theology
- Art and Design
(b) Decrease in candidates greater than 5 per cent.
- Opthalmic optics
- Chemical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Combinations of engineering and other subjects
- Agricultural biology
- Forestry
- Veterinary science
- Other general and combined physical sciences
- French