§ Mr. McNallyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what proportion of mature students there were and there will be in higher education in the academic years 1978–79 to 1984–85;
(2) what was, and what he estimates will be, the proportion of full-time to part-time students in higher education in the academic years 1978–79 to 1984–85;
(3) how many students he estimates will take up full-time degree courses at (a) universities and (b) polytechnics in the academic years beginning in September of 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986, respectively.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe readily available information for academic years 1978–79 to 1982–83 is as follows. The proportion of home students entering higher education in Great Britain for the first time when aged 21 and over—corresponding to the definition of a mature student used for higher education planning—was:
Year Per cent. 1978–79 23.5 1979–80 24 1980–81 22.8 1981–82 23.1 *1982–83 21.7 * Provisional. The ratio of full-time to part-time students in higher education in Great Britain was:
Year Ratio 1978–79 1.96:1 1979–80 1.91:1 1980–81 1.85:1 1981–82 1.83:1 Projections of student numbers in higher education for 1983–84 and later years cannot yet be provided. The 84W Government's expenditure plans, published in February in Cmnd. 8789, state that the implications for student admissions to higher education in future years are under discussion with the bodies concerned.