HC Deb 19 March 2002 vol 382 cc249-50W
Mr. Damian Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to link funding for universities to the socio-economic background of students admitted to those universities; and if she will make a statement. [40798]

All Schools Number (headcount) of Pupils By Type of School January 2001
Nursery
LEA Mntd Direct Grant Total maintained Primary of which middle deemed Maintained Secondary of which middle deemed
South West 2,003 0 2,003 399,918 6,420 314,652 14,763
Bath and North East Somerset 0 0 0 12,924 0 12,273 0
Bournemouth 0 0 0 11,449 0 9,770 0
Bristol, City of 1,658 0 1,658 31,597 0 17,907 0
Cornwall 117 0 117 41,146 0 32,011 0
Devon 77 0 77 56,503 2,690 39,832 0
Dorset 0 0 0 25,374 0 29,319 8,096
Gloucestershire 0 0 0 46,407 0 38,165 0
Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 140 0 124 0
North Somerset 0 0 0 14,927 0 12,269 0
Plymouth 151 0 151 21,285 0 18,829 0
Poole 0 0 0 11,250 3,730 8,197 673
Somerset 0 0 0 38,894 0 31,214 4,782

Margaret Hodge

[holding answer 6 March 2002]: The Government is promoting wider access to universities. As part of this, the Higher Education Funding Council for England provides funding to higher education institutions to reflect the additional costs of recruiting students from low participation postcodes.