To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information he collates on the relative performance at undergraduate level of students (a) with GCE A-level qualifications, (b) with GNVQ or equivalent vocational qualifications, (c) with advanced modern apprenticeships, (d) with overseas qualifications and (e) with other qualifications. [112205]

The Department is not aware of research that looks at the relative performance at undergraduate level of students with different types of entry qualifications. However, research has been conducted into the relationship between A-level attainment and undergraduate performance. Studies in this area include:

"Determinants of degree performance in UK universities: a statistical analysis of the 1993 student cohort" by Jeremy Smith and Robin Naylor; available from Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 63 (1) 29–60;

"School Performance and the Likelihood of getting into Bristol" by Jeff Odell in 1999; available from http:// www.bris.ac.uk/wp/w. p_strategy/sn99–35(s.htm);

"Who does best at university?" Higher Education Funding Council for England 2002; available from http:// www.hefce.ac.uk/Learning/whodoes/. The HEFCE are continuing to refine and develop its analysis and a fuller report will be published later this year; and

"Fair Enough£ Wicer access to university by identifying potential to succeed," by UUK 2003, available from http:// www. universitiesuk. ac. uk/fairenough/.