HC Deb 29 January 1997 vol 289 cc265-6W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the ratio of teachers to medical students for each year of study in each year since 1992. [12970]

Mr. Forth

Information on student staff ratios for the years up to and including 1993–94 is contained in "University Management Statistics and Performance

Number of home domicile entrants1 to first degree medicine and dentistry courses
Year of entry United Kingdom2 Percentage change on previous year England2 Percentage change on previous year West Midlands2 Percentage change on previous year
1992–933 4,885 3,677 244
1993–943 4,963 +2 3,744 +2 227 -7
1994–95
Medicine 4,909 3,556 174
Dentistry 1,017 659 68
Total 5,926 +19 4,215 +13 242 +7
1995–96
Medicine 5,455 3,936 178
Dentistry 1,047 645 72
Total 6,502 +10 4,581 +9 250 +3
The figures for 1992–93 and 1993–94 are taken from the Universities Statistical Record. The figures for 1994–95 and 1995–96 are taken from the individualised student return collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
1 Based on students who were in their first year of study.
2 Location of institution rather than domicile of student.
3 Figures for 1992–93 and 1993–94 cannot be disaggregated between medicine and dentistry courses.

Mr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the ratio of teachers to nursing students for each year of study during the period 1992 to present. [12966]

Mr. Forth

The information available on student staff ratios for the years up to and including 1993–94 is contained in "University Management Statistics and Performance Indicators in the UK" published by the Universities Statistical Record, which covers institutions formerly funded by the Universities Funding Council, and

Indicators in the UK" published by the Universities Statistical Record, which covers institutions formerly funded by the Universities Funding Council, and in "Student staff ratios in polytechnics and colleges" published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which covers institutions formerly funded by the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council.

Comparable information for more recent years is not available. While separate figures are available for the numbers of students and staff respectively, analysed by subject, these cannot reliably be converted to ratios of students to staff because of definitional differences between the two sets of data.

Mr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many medical students have dropped out of their studies in each year of the degree course since 1992(a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in England and (c) in the west midlands; and for each year what was the percentage change on the previous year. [12972]

Mr. Forth

Information on drop-out rates analysed by subject of study is not compiled centrally.

Mr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students have started medical degrees since 1992(a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in England and (c) in the west midlands; and for each year what was the percentage change on the previous year. [12971]

Mr. Forth

The available information is as follows:

in "Student staff ratios in polytechnics and colleges" published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which covers institutions formerly funded by the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council. Comparable information for more recent years is not available.