HL Deb 08 May 1986 vol 474 c954WA
Baroness Carnegy of Lour

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many of the applicants for places at the Open University for 1986 were disappointed; how many of these wished to study mathematics, science or technological subjects; and what are their plans for enabling the university to reduce the number of refusals.

The Earl of Swinton

The Open University was unable to offer a place on its 1986 undergraduate programme to approximately 24,000 applicants. Of these, some 10,000 had applied to study mathematics, science and technology. The university has always received more applicants than it has places available, and itself decides how many students it can accept. The Government have made additional funds available through the engineering and technology programme to enable the university to increase the number of students in maths, science and technology courses.