HC Deb 02 June 1997 vol 295 c74W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of students in higher education are from ethnic minority backgrounds; and what initiatives he proposes to take to increase their number. [1041]

Dr. Howells

Ethnic minorities are well represented in higher education compared to their representation in the population as a whole. Nearly 12 per cent. of home students in the UK are from ethnic minority backgrounds, even though they form only 6 per cent. of the total GB population and 8 per cent. of the population aged 16 to 24 years.