HC Deb 27 June 1995 vol 262 cc618-21W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, (1) what has been the total Government expenditure on university and polytechnic maintenance grants, for each year since 1974–75 in 1994 prices; [30338]

(2) what has been the value of the full universities student grant for each year since 1974–75 in 1994 prices; [30337]

(3) if he will list the changes to university and polytechnic student maintenance grant entitlement since 1974; [30339]

(4) what is his estimate of the annual cost of providing the full maintenance grant to all university students; [30323]

(5) what would be the cost of reducing the level of university fees paid by non-European Community Country students to the fee levels paid by students from European Community countries; [30325]

(6) what was the percentage of university or polytechnic students entitled to (a) a full maintenance grant and (b) no maintenance grant for each year since 1979; [30340]

(7) what is his estimate of the number of students in higher education in the year 2000; [30320]

(8) what was the average level of student loan for university students in 1994–95; [30324]

(9) what is his estimate of the cost in the current year of restoring the value of the student maintenance grant to its real 1979 level; [30342]

(10) what would be the annual cost of paying (a) all fees for and (b) the full maintenance grant to all part-time university students. [30322]

(11) what is his estimate of the total number of university students with a student loan, in each year from 1987–88 to 1997–98. [30326]

Mr. Richards

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Further and Higher Education.

Mr. Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the staff to student ratio at universities, and their forerunners, for each year from 1974–75 to 1997–98. [30335]

Mr. Richards

Information available on the staff/student ratio in the constituent colleges of the university of Wales and at other institutions providing higher education in Wales from 1986–87 to 1993–94 can be found in the following table. Comparable information for years prior to 1986–87 is not available for both sectors. Data for the year 1994–95 have not yet been collected. There are no projected figures.

Ratio of full-time equivalent student numbers to full-time equivalent academic and academic related staff numbers in Wales.
Academic year University of Wales1 Other institutions2
1986–87 6:4 10:4
1987–88 6:4 10:2
1988–89 6:7 10:1
1989–90 7:0 11:4
1990–91 7:1 12:5
1991–92 7:7 13:9
1992–93 8:4 15:7
1993–94 9:0 316:7
Notes:
1 As at December of each year.
2 Full academic year. Includes higher education provision at further education institutions.
3 Provisional data pending publication.

Sources:

Universities Statistical Record and the Welsh Office Annual Monitoring Survey.

Mr. Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average cost to the Exchequer of each student in university education for each year since 1984–85 broken down by(a) maintenance grant, (b) fees and (c) other. [30343]

Mr. Richards

The information is not available in the form requested. The average maintenance grants received by mandatory award holders domiciled in England and Wales in the academic years 1984–85 to 1993–94 are shown in the table set out in the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for further and Higher Education.

In Wales, the estimated income from tuition fees and average recurrent grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales since its inception in 1992 per student is around £4,500 in each of the financial years 1993–94 to 1995–96.

Mr. Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the drop-out rate for university and polytechnic courses in each year since 1979. [30319]

Mr. Richards

Information relating to drop-out rates for Welsh institutions is not collected centrally.

Mr. Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are his estimates of the university or polytechnic total student population for each year from 1974–75 to 1998–99. [30341]

Mr. Richards

Information on the number of student enrolments on higher education courses at publicly funded institutions in Wales from 1974–75 to 1997–98 can be found in the following table. Comparable 1998–99 figures will be available later in the year as a direct consequence of this years public expenditure survey.

Enrolments on higher education courses at publicly funded institutions in Wales1
Year University of Wales2 Other publicly funded institutions3
1974–75 16,681 7,569
1975–76 17,762 9,345
1976–77 18,784 10,643
1977–78 19,692 12,885
1978–79 20,508 12,959
1979–80 20,879 13,142
1980–81 21,667 13,890
1981–82 21,300 15,135
1982–83 20,888 15,824
1983–84 20,050 17,617
1984–85 20,486 18,181
1985–86 21,520 19,240
1986–87 22,674 19,861
1987–88 22,886 20,331
1988–89 23,167 21,393
1989–90 24,577 22,579
1990–91 26,170 24,076
1991–92 29,487 27,949
1992–93 33,112 33,085
1993–944 36,390 37,133
1994–955 35,500 38,300
1995–965 35,800 38,800
1996–975 35,800 38,700
1997–985 36,100 38,900
Notes:
1 Excludes Open University students.
2 At December. Excludes institutions gaining university status in 1992–93.
3 At November. Includes institutions gaining university status in 1992–93.
4 Provisional data pending publication.
5 Projected figures, based on 1994 student counts. Overseas students, other than EC, are excluded.

Mr. Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the backlog of building repair and maintenance work at universities. [30336]

Mr. Richards

Surveys undertaken in the early 1990s of the higher education estate in Wales showed a backlog of maintenance and repair which would cost just over £90 million to correct. Work to the value of £30 million has already been undertaken, including all work necessary to meet health and safety requirements. The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales has a target to eliminate the remaining backlog of work by 1999 at the latest.

Mr. Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the(a) average cost and (b) marginal cost of university students in 1995–96. [30344]

Mr. Richards

The average funding council grant and income from fees per higher education student in Wales for the financial year 1995–96 is estimated at around £4,500. No information is available for marginal costs.

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