§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of general national vocational qualification students will be attending higher education institutes from September 1997; and if he will make a statement. [10485]
§ Dr. HowellsAvailable information on applicants and acceptances to HE courses through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service scheme shows that in 1996 there were 21,308 applicants who had taken either units of the advanced GNVQ or the full award and were applying to higher education institutions HEIs. Of these, 13,090–61.4 per cent.—gained HE places. This compares favourably with 1995, when 5,942 UCAS applicants5–8.5 per cent.-gained places at HEIs out of a total of 10.151. A total of 168 HEIs have accepted advanced GNVQ applicants on to their courses, with 50 273W accepting more than 100 such applicants, including 26 with more than 200 and eight with more than 300 GNVQ entrants.