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The Prime Minister has promised ¡°further increases¡± in university places this year.

During a grilling by MPs on the House of Commons Liaison Committee this morning, Gordon Brown said that the Universities Minister, would be making an announcement on student numbers ¡°as soon as is possible¡±.

Last week, it emerged that 52,000 more students have applied for places at university than at this time last year. But they are competing for only 3,000 extra full-time places at universities this autumn after a government decision to scale back student numbers to meet a shortfall in the student support budget. Phil Willis, chairman of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee, told Mr Brown that 3,000 extra places was a ¡°derisory¡± figure compared with the level of demand.

Mr Brown said at the meeting: ¡°There will be further increases agreed for university places this year.¡± However, he refused to give numbers, saying this was for the Universities Minister to announce.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com