Charles Clarke has denied Conservative charges that the government is indulging in "social engineering" by forcing universities to accept more working-class students.

The education secretary said that although access to university should be based on merit, there were other ways of measuring it other than A Levels.

"A Levels are an important guide to educational achievement but they are not a perfect test of everything," he said.

Oxford university chancellorship candidate Chris Patten says today that it is "shocking" that the percentage of children from poorer backgrounds going to university has fallen in recent years.

Writing in today's FT, he also warns that the government's plans for top-up fees might not be enough to address the funding shortfall in higher education.