§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the take-up of university places in Wales. [60557]
§ Mr. HainThe latest provisional figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show that acceptances onto courses at Welsh higher education institutions are holding up well. The fears that there might bp a slump in the 1998–99 applications compared to the very healthy 1997–98 figures have not been realised. We have no reason to believe that there is a problem connected with the introduction of the requirement that students contribute towards their tuition fees. We look forward with interest to seeing the final acceptance figures from UCAS which will be available in the next month or so.