Higher Education (Hansard, 19 June 2000)

§ Mr. Ian Bruce
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the trend is in(a) numerical and (b) percentage terms of applications for higher education places from social classes L11, L6, L7, L3, L5 and L4; and what assessment he has made of which changes in Government policy are affecting the trends. [125181]

§ Mr. Wicks
[holding answer 9 June 2000]: The available information on full-time students is contained in the following table, and covers only those who apply to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS); data on the family background of applicants to part-time courses are not held centrally.

UK domiciled applicants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses in the UK

Year of entry

Social Class 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Numbers

I Professional 50,270 50,245 49,931 48,423 47.024 46,533

II Intermediate 142,661 140,137 138,995 150,294 147,309 144,804

IIIN Skilled non-manual 43,388 42,377 42,969 49,567 47,057 47,102

IIIM Skilled manual 61,784 61,915 58,235 60,735 58,894 58,540

IV Partly skilled 28,340 28,785 28,340 32,200 31,012 30,805

V Unskilled 7,208 7,644 7,033 7,904 7,305 7,451

Total known 333,651 331,103 325,503 349,123 338,601 335,235

Unknown 31,672 38,598 39,382 49,204 50,987 53,456

Total 365,323 369,701 364,885 398,327 389,588 388,691

Percentages¹

I Professional 15.1 15.2 15.3 13.9 13.9 13.9

II Intermediate 42.8 42.3 42.7 43.0 43.5 43.2

IIIN Skilled non-manual 13.0 12.8 13.2 14.2 13.9 14.1

IIIM Skilled manual 18.5 18.7 17.9 17.4 17.4 17.5

IV Partly skilled 8.5 8.7 8.7 9.2 9.2 9.2

V Unskilled 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

¹Excluding applicants with unknown social class

43W
This Government are committed to ensuring that everyone who is capable of benefiting from higher education will have the opportunity to do so. Widening participation on a sound basis requires policies across a broad front, from improving school performance through to funding formulae that target help on those students that need it most. This is a complex area and the results will not be immediate. We will of course continue to monitor applications in order to evaluate the longer term impact of our action.

§ Mr. Allan
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each institution of higher education in Great Britain the(a) total budget and (b) amount of budget deficit for each year since 1995 for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126176]

§ Mr. Wicks
The income and expenditure of each higher education institution in Great Britain is set out in "Resources of Higher Education Institutions" published annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Copies are in the Library of the House.

UK domiciled applicants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses in the UK
	Year of entry
Social Class	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Numbers
I Professional	50,270	50,245	49,931	48,423	47.024	46,533
II Intermediate	142,661	140,137	138,995	150,294	147,309	144,804
IIIN Skilled non-manual	43,388	42,377	42,969	49,567	47,057	47,102
IIIM Skilled manual	61,784	61,915	58,235	60,735	58,894	58,540
IV Partly skilled	28,340	28,785	28,340	32,200	31,012	30,805
V Unskilled	7,208	7,644	7,033	7,904	7,305	7,451
Total known	333,651	331,103	325,503	349,123	338,601	335,235
Unknown	31,672	38,598	39,382	49,204	50,987	53,456
Total	365,323	369,701	364,885	398,327	389,588	388,691
Percentages¹
I Professional	15.1	15.2	15.3	13.9	13.9	13.9
II Intermediate	42.8	42.3	42.7	43.0	43.5	43.2
IIIN Skilled non-manual	13.0	12.8	13.2	14.2	13.9	14.1
IIIM Skilled manual	18.5	18.7	17.9	17.4	17.4	17.5
IV Partly skilled	8.5	8.7	8.7	9.2	9.2	9.2
V Unskilled	2.2	2.3	2.2	2.3	2.2	2.2
Total	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
¹Excluding applicants with unknown social class