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Higher Education

Volume 32: debated on Thursday 18 November 1982

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asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of available (a) university and (b) polytechnic places in 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83.

The number of places available at universities and polytechnics is not available as there are no fixed targets for student entry. The following information relates to the number of first year full-time and sandwich students.

Pupils aged 3 and 4 years in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools in January 1980, 1981 and 1982
Age of pupils (at previous 31 August)
3 years4 years*
198019811982198019811982
Nursery schools
Full-time pupils8,6398,2608,2823,9853,9643,515
Part-time pupils22,83722,67923,7645,1345,2374,951
Full-time equivalent†20,05819,60020,1646,5526,5835,991
Nursery classes in primary schools
Full-time pupils19,39719,702‡19,99911,53411,273‡10,540

Full-time and sandwich first year students in Universities and Polytechnics

1978–79

1979–80

1980–81

1981–82

Universities in Great Britain (including post-graduates)112,790113,102113,745111,693
Polytechnics in England and Wales53,36654,25755,99564,970

Statistics for 1982–83 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the total Government expenditure on (a) university and (b) polytechnic education in constant prices for 1974 to the present day.

Net recurrent and capital expenditure on universities via the University Grants Committee and on other institutions of university status from 1974–75 to 1981–82 and net recurrent and capital expenditure by local education authorities on polytechnics for 1974–75 to 1980–81, the last year for which information is available, are as follows at constant November 1979 prices.

£ million November 1979 prices or equivalent
Universities Great BritainPolytechnics England and Wales
1974–751,001316
1075–761,042354
1076–771,019360
1977–78838331
1978–79864328
1979–80827327
1980–81864309
1981–82812

Note:

The apparent drop in expenditure in 1977–78 was largely counterbalanced by a substantial increase in income as a consequence of an increase in real terms in tuition lees for home students.