To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of university applications made by students at (a) maintained schools and (b) further education colleges were to Russell Group universities in the last 12 months. (232260)

The latest available information, covering applications for entry in autumn 2007, are shown in the table. The figures are taken from data collected by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) which are limited to students who apply to full-time undergraduate courses via the UCAS application system. The figures do not therefore cover part-time students, nor those full-time students who apply directly to higher education institutions.

This Government are committed to increasing and widening participation in higher education, including to our most selective institutions. We want people from all backgrounds to be able and willing to go on to whatever HE best suits their potential and merit, a mission that we know is shared with the HE sector. There is much that this Government support to help make this happen, such as the Aimhigher Programme, and higher education institutions themselves do many things to reach out to students from a wide range of backgrounds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many (a) UK nationals, (b) nationals of other EU member states and (c) non-EU nationals were (i) applicants and (ii) accepted applicants for university degree courses in (A) chemistry, (B) physics, (C) mathematics, (D) computer science and (E) engineering for the 2008-09 academic year. (232262)

The latest available information, covering applicants who had been accepted for entry as at 15 October, is shown in the following table. Comparable figures for applicants are not held centrally. The figures are taken from data collected by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) which are limited to students who apply to full-time undergraduate courses via the UCAS application system. The figures do not therefore cover part-time students, nor those full-time students who apply directly to higher education institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) what discussions he has had with universities on the account to be taken in university admission arrangements of an A-level in a modern foreign language, if a student applying to a university is (a) from the country where that language is indigenous, (b) from a community in the UK where that language is spoken and (c) is fluent in the language because it is spoken at home; and if he will make a statement; (232984)

I have had no discussions with universities on the subject requirements for student admissions. These are for each university to decide on the basis of the academic and professional needs of each course. If universities do have specific entry requirements for particular courses, these may be shown on their websites, and are generally replicated on the course information of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service website. The Department does not hold that information.

We have made it clear however that admissions policies should be open and transparent. I am aware that the Equality Challenge Unit and Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA) have recently written to higher education institutions about the need to ensure that admissions procedures do not breach equality legislation in terms of the treatment of students with native language qualifications.

Schools, in partnership with local Connexions services, are expected to provide young people with high quality and impartial, personalised information, advice and guidance about learning and careers that meets the needs of the individual. The Department for Children, Schools and Families is currently working with the Training and Development Agency for Schools to pilot approaches that will help all teachers to provide high quality advice on progression opportunities from their own subjects.