Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new students were enrolled in Ulster university in the present academic year; how many of these students came from the Republic of Ireland; if the enrolment of new students was within the agreed numerical limit; and what assessment he has made of the consequences of this year's enrolment rates for enrolment of new students in the next academic year. [28048]
§ Mr. AncramThe number of new full-time under-graduate students enrolled at the university of Ulster in the present academic year was 4,801 of whom 854 were domiciled in the Republic of Ireland.
The limit—maximum aggregate student number MASN—which the university is required to observe is on its total enrolment of award-holding students. There is no specific control on the enrolment of new students. In 1995–96, the MASN was exceeded by 558 students. For the university to remain within its MASN in the next academic year, it will have to make an adjustment to its intakes commensurate with last year's excess.