HC Deb 18 November 1982 vol 32 cc255-6W
Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of available (a) university and (b) polytechnic places in 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83.

Mr. Waldegrave

The number of places available at universities and polytechnics is not available as there are no fixed targets for student entry. The following information relates to the number of first year full-time and sandwich students.

Pupils aged 3 and 4 years in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools in January 1980, 1981 and 1982
Age of pupils (at previous 31 August)
3 years 4 years*
1980 1981 1982 1980 1981 1982
Nursery schools
Full-time pupils 8,639 8,260 8,282 3,985 3,964 3,515
Part-time pupils 22,837 22,679 23,764 5,134 5,237 4,951
Full-time equivalent† 20,058 19,600 20,164 6,552 6,583 5,991
Nursery classes in primary schools
Full-time pupils 19,397 19,702 ‡19,999 11,534 11,273 ‡10,540

Full-time and sandwich first year students in Universities and Polytechnics
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82
Universities in Great Britain (including post-graduates) 112,790 113,102 113,745 111,693
Polytechnics in England and Wales 53,366 54,257 55,995 64,970

Statistics for 1982–83 are not yet available.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the total Government expenditure on (a) university and (b) polytechnic education in constant prices for 1974 to the present day.

Mr. Waldegrave

Net recurrent and capital expenditure on universities via the University Grants Committee and on other institutions of university status from 1974–75 to 1981–82 and net recurrent and capital expenditure by local education authorities on polytechnics for 1974–75 to 1980–81, the last year for which information is available, are as follows at constant November 1979 prices.

£ million November 1979 prices or equivalent
Universities Great Britain Polytechnics England and Wales
1974–75 1,001 316
1075–76 1,042 354
1076–77 1,019 360
1977–78 838 331
1978–79 864 328
1979–80 827 327
1980–81 864 309
1981–82 812

Note:

The apparent drop in expenditure in 1977–78 was largely counterbalanced by a substantial increase in income as a consequence of an increase in real terms in tuition lees for home students.