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Written Answers
Monday, 1 March 2004.
Afghanistan: Badakhshan
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many officials of the Afghan Government and of the United Nations are stationed in the province of Badakhshan.[HL1353]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): According to the Deputy Governor of Badakhshan, there are 12,112 paid employees of the Afghan Government working in the province. The UN has six international and 50 Afghan staff working in Badakhshan.
Higher Education: Disabled Students
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress they have made to improve access to higher education for disabled students since the National Audit Office's finding in 2002 that an 18-year-old with a disability or other health problem has a 40 per cent chance of access compared with other students; and what impact they expect their new proposals for higher education funding will have in improving that figure.[HL1415]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The Government are keen to ensure that students with disabilities receive the best support possible so that they are able to study alongside their fellow students on an equal basis.
HESA figures for 2001–02 suggest the proportion of higher education students with self-declared disabilities has grown from 4.6 per cent in 1996–97 to 6 per cent in 2001–02.
The disabled students' allowances (DSAs) are available to students with disabilities attending or undertaking courses of higher education, who by reason of their disability, incur additional expenditure as a result of their attendance on the course. DSAs are paid in addition to the existing standard support package.
The extension of DSAs to part-time undergraduates and full and part-time postgraduates in 2000–01, including Open University students, has enabled more students with disabilities to enter higher education. An additional 3,235 DSAs were awarded in 2003–04 compared to the previous year. Recently, the department has reviewed the administration of the
DSA scheme and engaged with representatives from the sector so that disabled students are able to access the scheme more quickly and efficiently.We have done much to increase awareness of the financial assistance available to disabled students. The booklet Bridging the Gap: a guide to the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSAs) in Higher Education is specifically for disabled students, with over 180,000 copies available in 2004–05.
The introduction of the new student finance arrangements will assist disabled students in the same way as non-disabled students, in that they will not pay fees up front, and loans will be written off after 25 years.
"Aimhigher" aims to increase participation in higher education from under-represented groups. The planning guidance for the new integrated Aimhigher programme, which starts in August 2004, lists disabled students as an under-represented group for whom local partnerships should seek to widen access.
Extra funding has been granted to universities to improve support and facilities for disabled students. Institutions receive HEFCE funding to recruit and support students with disabilities. A total of £10 million is allocated in this way in 2003–04 within the funding for widening access and improving retention.
Additionally HEFCE is providing £117 million to improve provision for students with special needs, in line with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and its extension in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. Funding is available between April 2004 and March 2006 to improve the physical and IT infrastructure for students with disabilities. For example these may include signage for visually impaired, flashing fire alarms and hearing loops, wider doors, ramps, lifts and special IT or other equipment.
Universities: Honours Degrees
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 10 December 2002 (WA 21) concerning honours degrees, what were the equivalent figures for (a) 2003; (b) 1998; and (c) 1993. [HL1457]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Data for the number of first degree graduates in 1993 were published by the Universities Statistical Record and give figures for the total number of first degrees and the number of first class honours degrees only. These and figures for first degree graduates in 1998 and 2003, which are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, are given in the tables.
| Numbers | Percentages | ||||
| 1st class | Other | Total | 1st class | Other | |
| The University of Birmingham | 230 | 2,354 | 2,584 | 8.9 | 91.1 |
| The University of Bristol | 220 | 1,963 | 2,183 | 10.1 | 89.9 |
| The University of Cambridge | 810 | 2,562 | 3,372 | 24.0 | 76.0 |
| The University of Leeds | 264 | 2,892 | 3,156 | 8.4 | 91.6 |
| The University of Liverpool | 159 | 2,155 | 2,314 | 6.9 | 93.1 |
| King's College London | 124 | 1,300 | 1,424 | 8.7 | 91.3 |
| London School of Economics and Political Science | 49 | 642 | 691 | 7.1 | 92.9 |
| The University of Newcastle Upon Tyne | 192 | 2,152 | 2,344 | 8.2 | 91.8 |
| The University of Nottingham | 241 | 2,538 | 2,779 | 8.7 | 91.3 |
| The University of Oxford | 493 | 3,000 | 3,493 | 14.1 | 85.9 |
| The University of Sheffield | 207 | 2,273 | 2,480 | 8.3 | 91.7 |
| The University of Southampton | 171 | 1,703 | 1,874 | 9.1 | 90.9 |
| The University of Edinburgh | 209 | 2,054 | 2,263 | 9.2 | 90.8 |
| The University of Glasgow | 240 | 2,339 | 2,579 | 9.3 | 90.7 |
| Cardiff University | 139 | 2,091 | 2,230 | 6.2 | 93.8 |
| The University of Warwick | 140 | 1,625 | 1,765 | 7.9 | 92.1 |
| Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine | 232 | 994 | 1,226 | 18.9 | 81.1 |
| University College London | 200 | 1,657 | 1,857 | 10.8 | 89.2 |
| The Victoria University of Manchester | 288 | 2,958 | 3,246 | 8.9 | 91.1 |
Source:
Universities Statistics Record
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency
Numbers Percentages
1st class Upper 2nd Other Total 1st Class Upper 2nd Other
The University of Birmingham 353 1,879 1,300 3,532 10.0 53.2 36.8
The University of Bristol 318 1,252 790 2,360 13.5 53.1 33.4
The University of Cambridge 888 1,688 568 3,144 28.2 53.7 18.1
The University of Leeds 350 2,142 1,658 4,150 8.4 51.6 40.0
The University of Liverpool 190 1,147 1,454 2,791 6.8 41.1 52.1
King's College London 182 718 741 1,641 11.1 43.8 45.1
London School of Economics and Political Science 134 484 271 889 15.1 54.4 30.5
The University of Newcastle Upon Tyne 190 1,243 1,105 2,538 7.5 49.0 43.5
The University of Nottingham 333 1,814 722 2,869 11.6 63.2 25.2
The University of Oxford 634 1,805 1,249 3,688 17.2 48.9 33.9
The University of Sheffield 252 1,681 1,354 3,287 7.7 51.1 41.2
The University of Southampton 277 1,285 1,497 3,059 9.1 42.0 48.9
The University of Edinburgh 328 1,453 1,149 2,930 11.2 49.6 39.2
The University of Glasgow 317 1,218 1,464 2,999 10.6 40.6 48.8
Cardiff University 300 1,451 1,288 3,039 9.9 47.7 42.4
The University of Warwick 243 1,275 767 2,285 10.6 55.8 33.6
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 270 591 691 1,552 17.4 38.1 44.5
University College London 376 1,349 1,043 2,768 13.6 48.7 37.7
The Victoria University of Manchester 379 1,849 1,686 3,914 9.7 47.2 43.1
Numbers Percentages
1st class Upper 2nd Other Total 1st class Upper 2nd Other
The University of Birmingham 414 2,000 1,598 4,012 10.3 49.9 39.8
The University of Bristol 462 1,561 733 2,756 16.8 56.7 26.5
The University of Cambridge 1,160 1,851 518 3,529 32.9 52.5 14.6
The University of Leeds 641 3,000 2,073 5,714 11.2 52.5 36.3
The University of Liverpool 309 1,378 1,390 3,077 10.0 44.8 45.2
King's College London 325 1,302 1,125 2,752 11.8 47.3 40.9
London School of Economics and Political Science 190 510 242 942 20.2 54.1 25.7
The University of Newcastle upon Tyne 290 1,390 1,136 2,816 10.3 49.4 40.3
The University of Nottingham 533 2,192 1,149 3,874 13.8 56.6 29.6
The University of Oxford 767 1,980 526 3,273 23.4 60.5 16.1
The University of Sheffield 553 2,121 1,307 3,981 13.9 53.3 32.8
The University of Southampton 468 1,605 1,070 3,143 14.9 51.1 34.0
The University of Edinburgh 482 1,688 1,262 3,432 14.0 49.2 36.8
The University of Glasgow 295 1,326 1,640 3,261 9.0 40.7 50.3
Cardiff University 459 1,958 1,101 3,518 13.0 55.7 31.3
The University of Warwick 532 1,522 561 2,615 20.3 58.2 21.5
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 390 660 666 1,716 22.7 38.5 38.8
University College London 545 1,653 1,083 3,281 16.6 50.4 33.0
The Victoria University of Manchester 660 2,048 1,495 4,203 15.7 48.7 35.6
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