HC Deb 22 March 2001 vol 365 c331W
Mr. Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people (i) in England and (ii) from north Somerset(a) entered and (b) completed higher education courses in each of the past five years. [149901]

Mr. Wicks

The available information is shown in the table. Prior to the reorganisation of local government, north Somerset was included within Avon local education authority and therefore cannot be identified separately prior to 1997–98.

Entrants and completers from higher education courses1 in HE institutions
Thousand
1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
Entrants
Postgraduates:
England2 104.6 105.8 106.0 109.7 110.7
North Somerset3 n/a n/a 0.4 0.4 0.4
Undergraduates:
England2 374.2 366.2 378.0 376.0 389.6
North Somerset3 n/a n/a 1.5 1.3 1.1
Qualifiers
Postgraduates:
England2 50.2 52.8 55.4 57.6 59.1
North Somerset3 n/a n/a 0.2 0.3 0.1
Undergraduates:
England2 222.6 225.5 225.0 231.9 233.8
North Somerset3 n/a n/a 0.7 0.8 0.8
1Full-time and part-time courses excluding the Open University.
2Students studying in institutions in England.
3Students whose normal home residence is in north Somerset.