HL Deb 26 February 1990 vol 516 cc589-90WA
Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of students come from families with above average family income.

Baroness Blatch

Information relating to the income of students' families is available only for those students in respect of whom a parental contribution towards their grant is assessed. Parental contributions are assessed on the basis of the parents' residual income—gross income less certain deductions also allowed for tax purposes.

Information is not collected about the gross income of students' parents. However, assuming that on average parents' gross income is 15 per cent, higher than their residual income as assessed by local education authorities in England and Wales, approximately 60 per cent, of students in 1987–88, the latest year for which figures are available, came from families with incomes above £13,300—the national average family income in 1987.

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the proportion of students at university from manual working class backgrounds, and how has it changed over time.

Baroness Blatch

The percentage of university entrants from the manual working class since 1961 is given in the table below:

Academic year starting
1961 1971 1981 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Percentage of university entrants from the manual working class 25 27 20 22 22 23 23 22 21