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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Promise of more university places | Promise of more university places |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The prime minister has said there will be extra university places for the next academic year, starting this autumn. | The prime minister has said there will be extra university places for the next academic year, starting this autumn. |
| Gordon Brown made the promise to a committee of senior MPs - but without putting a figure on the expansion. | Gordon Brown made the promise to a committee of senior MPs - but without putting a figure on the expansion. |
| He said the universities minister would make an announcement "in a timely manner" after consulting the sector. | He said the universities minister would make an announcement "in a timely manner" after consulting the sector. |
| Applications are up about 10%, suggesting tens of thousands of people face disappointment, while previous expansion plans have been cut back. | Applications are up about 10%, suggesting tens of thousands of people face disappointment, while previous expansion plans have been cut back. |
| Fifty thousand more people have applied for university places in the UK this year, than last year. | Fifty thousand more people have applied for university places in the UK this year, than last year. |
| The Conservatives have accused the government of "sleepwalking into a crisis", as more young people try to avoid the recession by studying. | The Conservatives have accused the government of "sleepwalking into a crisis", as more young people try to avoid the recession by studying. |
| Stem focus | Stem focus |
| Mr Brown was questioned on the issue by the Commons liaison committee, made up of select committee chairs. | Mr Brown was questioned on the issue by the Commons liaison committee, made up of select committee chairs. |
| Extra demand is outstripping available places by about 40,000 | Extra demand is outstripping available places by about 40,000 |
| He was told by universities and innovation committee chair Phil Willis that the extra 3,000 places that had been made available this year were "derisory compared with the demand". | He was told by universities and innovation committee chair Phil Willis that the extra 3,000 places that had been made available this year were "derisory compared with the demand". |
| "So what are you saying to all those young people?" he asked. | "So what are you saying to all those young people?" he asked. |
| "That we will provide more places than have been previously announced," Mr Brown said. | "That we will provide more places than have been previously announced," Mr Brown said. |
| "The universities minister will make an announcement in due course." | "The universities minister will make an announcement in due course." |
| He was pressed on the urgency of the situation, given that A-level results are due out in five weeks' time. | He was pressed on the urgency of the situation, given that A-level results are due out in five weeks' time. |
| Mr Brown would not be drawn on specifics except to say "we will do what we can" - particularly in science, technology, engineering and maths departments. | Mr Brown would not be drawn on specifics except to say "we will do what we can" - particularly in science, technology, engineering and maths departments. |
| Job cuts | |
| It was not clear whether the promised extra student numbers would be across the UK or only for England. | It was not clear whether the promised extra student numbers would be across the UK or only for England. |
| The leader of the University and College Union, Sally Hunt, said the news was welcome. | |
| "However, we cannot just cram more students into our universities at a time when the staff required to teach and nurture them are being cut. | |
| "We are pleased the prime minister also announced today that the government will be consulting with the higher education sector about the plans. | |
| "Our message to the government is quite simple: if we want to ensure we are delivering the highest possible quality of education to our students, we have to abolish any notion that it can be done on the cheap." | |
| Public spending on education across the EU averaged 5% of GDP, compared with 5.5% in the UK. |