§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has available to him about the earnings of those with postgraduate qualifications immediately after acquiring the qualification as compared with the earnings of those with first degrees.
§ Mr. WaldenDetailed information on the earnings of first degree and higher degree graduates immediately after graduation is not available. Data from the general household survey over the period 1979 to 1983 suggests that men with higher degrees aged 25 to 29 earned some 3 per cent. more than those with first degrees of the same age. Numbers in this sample survey are insufficient to quote reliable estimates for actual earnings. Similar figures for women would not be reliable because of small sample numbers and the effect of part-time working.