§ Mr. Rhodes Jamesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the numbers of first degree students in British universities in 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86; and what numbers he anticipates for 1986–87.
§ Mr. WaldenThe total numbers of full-time and sandwich undergraduate level students in British universities in 1983–84 and 1984–85 were 244,200 and 241,700 respectively. The provisional estimate for 1985–86 to the nearest thousand is 240,000. Numbers to be admitted in 1986–87 is a matter for the universities to decide but it is not expected that the total numbers will be very different from those in 1985–86.