MEMBERS of Parliament will today be told that North-East universities are not elitist.

Sir Kenneth Calman, vice-chancellor of Durham University, is due to speak to the select committee on education.

Earlier this year the university became embroiled in a controversy sparked by Chancellor Gordon Brown's attack on Oxford University.

The row erupted after North-East comprehensive pupil Laura Spence was rejected by Oxford University, prompting claims it was biased toward students from public schools.

Sir Kenneth, the Government's former chief medical officer, is expecting the issue of access to higher education to be raised. A university spokesman said: "No doubt there will be questions about wider participation. We have already responded by sending the Government information about what we are doing to widen access.

"These include visiting schools, holding summer schools which are designed to encourage people to go to university from those families who have no tradition of doing so.

"Durham University's Stockton Campus, which was created in 1992, was influenced by the need to increase opportunity and 40 per cent of its intake is local.''