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26 Apr 2004 : Column 816W—continued

University Students

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of students attending university were from each of the lowest two social classes in each of the last 10 years. [166733]

Alan Johnson: The available information is taken from the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and covers UK-domiciled applicants, accepted to full-time undergraduate courses. The method of calculating social class adopted for social class data for 2002 entry onwards is the National Statistics Socio-Economic Class (NS-SEC). Hence, proportions for 2002 entry and 2003 entry are not directly comparable to earlier years and have been given separately.
Proportion(45) of UK domiciled applicants, accepted through UCAS from each social class, 1994–2001 entry

               Year of entry
Social Class19941995199619971998199920002001
I—Professional1616161515151414
II—Intermediate4443444444444444
IIIn—Skilled non manual1313131414141414
IIIm—Skilled manual1718171717171718
IV—Partly skilled88899998
V—Unskilled22222222
Combined groups: IV and V1010101111111110
Total100100100100100100100100


(45) of those of known social class
Source:
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service





 
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Proportion(46) of UK domiciled applicants, accepted through UCAS, from each social class, 2002–03 entry

      Year of entry
National Statistics Socio-Economic Class (NS-SEC)20022003
1. Higher managerial and professional occupations2322
2. Lower managerial and professional occupations3131
3. Intermediate occupations1615
4. Small employers and own account workers77
5. Lower supervisory and technical occupations55
6. Semi-routine occupations1313
7. Routine occupations66
Total100100


(46) of those of known social class
Source:
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service




 
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University Students (EU Member States)

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many undergraduate students from other EU member states have been accepted at United Kingdom universities in each of the past 10 years. [166736]

Alan Johnson: The available information is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and cover EU domiciles accepted through UCAS to full-time first degree and HMD courses at UCAS member institutions in the UK. Early figures for 2004 entry show that EU applicants have risen by 14 per cent.
EU domiciles accepted through UCAS to UK institutions, 1994–2003 entry

         Year of entry
Domicile1994199519961997199819992000200120022003
Austria(47)78132208176193189198179201
Belgium290295377416401431401424442485
Denmark128148207279259269272269285251
Finland(47)180444724655557457447421404
France4877208831,2881,3371,5191,6901,5511,7102,029
Germany8911,0211,1021,4751,6561,6241,6931,5411,6091,675
Gibraltar132192152175203177220160156158
Greece2,2073,4484,9475,8045,5655,0464,0052,7212,0811,690
Irish Republic2,9844,2983,8153,8782,9332,6022,2732,1802,3902.874
Italy329395414538572645499496505510
Luxembourg89111103143163176188167162174
Netherlands210224233237250245268242284340
Portugal134177242287269313304313321356
Spain371464521617659788674693720742
Sweden(47)213365674791936913773727683
Total EU8,25211,96413,93716,74315,88915,52114,04612,17511,99212,572


(47) Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU in 1995.
Source:
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service




Urban Education Projects

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is on Urban Education projects, with particular reference to the St. Cuthbert's Care project in Byker. [166538]

Margaret Hodge: There is no policy on Urban Education projects as such. This Department supports education initiatives in a wide range of settings and for diverse client groups, and the Children's Fund supports well over four thousand projects for children and young people. Newcastle Children's Fund Partnership has provided over £85,000 to the St. Cuthbert's Urban Education project between 2002–2004. Following a competitive application process against a range of criteria, the Partnership decided not to fund the project in 2004–05.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Academic Selection

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the alternative forms of academic selection to the 11-plus assessed by the Department of Education in the last year. [166713]

Mr. Gardiner: The Post-Primary Review Working Group considered alternative forms of academic selection but concluded that no alternative form of testing, or teacher assessment, would be any less problematical than the current arrangements; that age 11 is too early to commit pupils to particular pathways and that it is unsound to believe that the more able should follow only academic type courses.

Assembly Elections (Malpractice)

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Electoral Office has received complaints about malpractice following the latest Assembly Elections in Northern Ireland. [168300]

Mr. Spellar: The Chief Electoral Officer has received one complaint about malpractice following the Assembly Elections in November. However, it could not be fully investigated as no evidence to substantiate the complaint was provided.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what plans he has to designate the Home Office under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, with particular reference to functions in relation to asylum seekers and refugees; [165819]
 
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(2) what plans he has to (a) designate Work Permits UK under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and (b) provide that the collection and reporting of statistics on work permits be subject to the public equity duty. [165820]

Mr. Spellar: The Home Secretary has advised me that in his view designation would have a serious and adverse effect on the work of his department, which includes Work Permits UK, specifically on the work of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. For that reason I accept his view that designation of the Home Office would not be appropriate. Wherever possible the Home Office is working within the spirit of the legislation.

Autism

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what training student teachers receive on the needs of children with autistic spectrum disorders. [167722]

Mr. Gardiner: There is a comprehensive range of core competences to be covered by student teachers during their Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses when most of a student's time is spent on school placement.

As such, special educational needs provision mainly covers the recognition of pupils' special needs and focuses on strategies to meet those needs. Current ITE provision is, nevertheless, under review with the intention of developing approaches which match, more closely, the needs of teachers entering the profession.


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