§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimates he has made of the number of students expected to graduate at degree level in science 428W and in engineering in each of the next five academic years; and how this compares with. Her Majesty's Government's forecasts of anticipated demand.
§ Mr. BrookeThe figures on projected graduate output are as follows:
(000's) Science* Engineering Total 1984–85 23.2 12.6 35.8 1985–86 23.6 13.6 37.2 1986–87 24.8 14.3 39.1 1987–88 24.8 14.8 39.6 1988–89 24.4 14.6 39.0 1989–90 24.5 14.6 39.1 * Exludes medical and social science. There are no detailed figures available for anticipated demands for science and engineering graduates. However, this question was considered with regard to information technology related subjects by the Information Technology Skills Shortages Committee, whose first report concluded that the market could comfortably absorb more graduates from these disciplines. while we are still considering our response to this report, the Government have nevertheless already taken substantial measures to increase the number of science and engineering graduates. The Information Technology in Higher Education Initiative, which my right hon. Friend announced in December 1982, will provide an additional 5,000 higher diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate places in electronics engineering and computer science in the universities and the public sector of higher education by 1985. As a result of the planning exercise conducted recently by the National Advisory Body for local authority higher education, there will be a significant shift in subject balance within local authority higher education (LANE) in 1984–85 towards scientific, technological and business-related subjects. First-year intakes to full-time and sandwich courses in engineering are planned to increase by 15 per cent. in 1984–85 over 1982–83 and intakes in mathematics and computing, including most LANE information technology courses, are planned to rise by 49 per cent. Finally, in response to a request from the University Grants Committee, universities have indicated that at their new levels of staffing and funding the admission of over 3,000 additional students, mainly in scientific and technological subjects, might be achieved in both 1984–85 and 1985–86. These changes are reflected in the above figures.