asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the proportion of children taking up places at university, divided into those from areas with selective schools and those from areas without selective schools, for each of the last 10 years.

I regret that information is not available to answer the question in precisely the form asked. However, the proportions of leavers from comprehensive schools and from selective schools—that is grammar, secondary modern, technical and other secondary schools added together—in England and Wales entering degree courses at universities for each of the last 10 years are given below:

	Comprehensive schools Per cent.	Selective schools Per cent.
1978	4·2	7·0
1977	3·9	6·2
1976	3·9	6·6
1975	3·5	5·6
1974	3·5	5·2
1973*	5·5	7·8
1972	3·6	5·0
1971	3·6	5·3
1970	3·8	5·0
1969	3·4	4·9
* The percentages for 1973 are not comparable with those for other years as the total number of leavers was reduced by the raising of the school leaving age.

As the information is based upon a 10 per cent. sample of school leavers each year, the percentages are subject to sampling error and undue reliance should not be placed upon the figures after the decimal points.