§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what assessment he has made of university applications for 1997–98 and the levels of parental income of applicants compared with previous years; and if he will make a statement. [14559]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 6 November 1997]The latest information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service indicates that, allowing for the extra Art and Design Admissions Registry applicants new to the UCAS scheme for 1997–98, the number of home and overseas accepted applicants is some 7 to 8 per cent. higher in 1997–98, than in the previous years. Information on the levels of parental income of applicants is not centrally available; nor have we yet received local authorities' annual returns showing the numbers of award-holding students for 1997–98 and the levels of assessed parental contributions, which reflect their income.