§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what financial support his Department has provided, in each of the past five years, to the Engineering Council's WISE programme. [47512]
§ Dr. HowellsWISE receives core funding from the Engineering Council and sponsorship from employers. This Department has not provided financial support in the last 5 years to the WISE programme. DTI has provided some financial support for WISE through its Development Unit for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology and through the Action for Engineering initiative.
299W
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many(a) male and (b) female students applied for courses of higher education in (i) biological sciences, (ii) physical and chemical sciences, (iii) medicine, (iv) engineering and (v) other sciences, in each of the last five years; and what percentage of applicants were (1) male and (2) female in each subject area in each year. [47558]
Numbers and percentages of applications/applicants to full time first degree, HND and DipHE courses in Science in UK by gender 1993 to 1997 19931 19942 19952 19962 19972 Subject Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Number Biological Sciences 46,298 73,299 8,455 13,493 8,106 13,603 8,221 14,688 8,538 15,935 Physics and Chemistry 65,800 32,257 11,235 5,459 10,767 5,671 9,993 5,255 10,468 5,263 Medicine3 31,561 30,715 6,909 6,969 7,234 6,989 7,307 7,398 7,076 7,417 Engineering4 145,302 19,248 27,204 3,366 25,096 3,244 24,199 3,207 23,104 3,375 Other Sciences5 168,575 150,519 31,693 27,006 32,855 28,664 33,768 28,947 40,756 33,565 Total Sciences 457,535 306,039 85,496 56,293 84,058 58,171 83,579 59,404 89,942 65,555 Percentage Biological Sciences 39 61 39 61 37 63 36 64 35 65 Physics and Chemistry 67 33 67 33 66 34 66 34 67 33 Medicine3 51 49 50 50 51 49 50 50 49 51 Engineering4 88 12 89 11 89 11 88 12 87 13 Other Sciences5 53 47 54 46 53 47 54 46 55 45 Total Sciences 60 40 60 40 59 41 58 42 58 42 1Figures for 1993 relate to applications made through either the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) or the Polytechnics Central Admissions System (PCAS) 2Figures for 1994 onwards relate to applicants using the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) 3Medicine and Dentistry 4Engineering and Technology 5Subjects Allied to Medicine, Agriculture/Veterinary, Mathematics and Computing, Architecture, Building and Planning and Combined Sciences
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many(a) male and (b) female students took up courses of higher education in (i) biological sciences, (ii) physical and chemical sciences, (iii) medicine, (iv) engineering and (v) other sciences, in each of the last five years; and what
300W
Full time undergraduates in United Kingdom higher education institutions 1993–94 to 1997–98, numbers and percentages by gender 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 Subject Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Number Biological Sciences 6,435 9,301 8,210 11,766 8,403 12,188 9,077 13,060 9,807 14,685 Physics and Chemistry 12,426 6,317 13,043 6,765 11,748 6,523 11,150 6,385 11,489 6,268 Medicine1 4,028 2,941 3,209 3,325 3,503 3,738 3,240 3,621 3,327 3,730 Engineering2 34,043 6,852 34,723 5,578 32,374 5,296 30,146 4,951 29,397 4,801 Other Science3 35,194 24,938 35,111 28,571 36,661 30,505 37,138 36,029 38,625 39,830 Total Science 92,495 53,100 94,538 56,163 92,928 58,411 90,989 64,208 92,883 69,476 Percentage Biological Sciences 41 59 41 59 41 59 41 59 40 60 Physics and Chemistry 66 34 66 34 64 36 64 36 65 35 Medicine1 58 42 49 51 48 52 47 53 47 53 Engineering2 83 17 86 14 86 14 86 14 86 14 Other Science3 59 41 55 45 55 45 51 49 49 51 Total Science 64 36 63 37 61 39 59 41 57 43 1Medicine and Dentistry 2Engineering and Technology 3Subjects allied to Medicine, Agriculture/Veterinary, Mathematics and Computing and Architecture, Building and Planning
§ Dr. HowellsThe available information is in the table, covering applications through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) for full time first degree, HND and DipHE courses only. Applicant information for part time and postgraduate courses is not available centrally. Data for 1993 and those compiled by the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) and the Polytechnics Central Admissions System (PCAS) and are available for applications rather than applicants.
percentage female students were of students taking up such courses in each subject area in each year. [47541]
§ Dr. HowellsThe information covering the five years from 1993–94 to 1997–98, the latest date for which it is available, is given in the table:
301W
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans his Department has to increase the number of women students entering the professions of science, engineering and technology. [47516]
§ Dr. HowellsBetween 1995 and 1996 the number of women studying for science, engineering and technology qualifications at 1st degree, postgraduate level and undergraduate level in the UK rose by 8 per cent. and from 1996 to 1997 by 14 per cent. In 1995–96, 43 per cent. of women graduating with a 1st degree in engineering and technology and 68 per cent. of women with a 1st degree in science went into employment in related occupations. However, women are still significantly under-represented in a number of areas of science, engineering and technology, particularly in engineering.
This Government are committed to encouraging the full participation of women in all areas of life, including non-traditional areas. The Women into Science and Engineering initiative, which began in 1984 with contributory funding from the Manpower Services Commission and continues to be run by the Engineering Council with some contributory funding from Government, encourages young women to consider careers in engineering. We have also been concerned at the under-representation of women in engineering and some technical sectors on Modern Apprenticeships. We have therefore been working closely with the Local Government National Training Organisation to produce a good practice guide to challenge gender stereotyping in Modern Apprenticeships.