To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of equal and lower qualification students were female in the most recent period for which figures are available. (195090)

About 70,000 women were studying for equivalent or lower level qualifications (ELQ) to ones they already hold in 2006/07—the latest year for which data are available. This represents a little under 60 per cent. of the total number of ELQ students, and that proportion is broadly the same as the overall male/female balance within higher education. The progressive redistribution of funding away from ELQ students will enable us to support more of the 10 million women without a first higher education qualification than would otherwise be possible, especially the two million women with level 3 qualifications who have not progressed to level 4.