We find our best recruiter is our reputation for quality," he added.. LOUISE JURY The new universities went on the defensive yesterday against claims they are admitting hundreds of students without any A-level qualifications, as Gillian Shephard, Secretary of State for Education, announced she would be investigating whether standards were being lowered. The universities said, however, that some students might be awarded a foundation year place - designed to prepare them for a full degree - in the subjects of science, engineering and technology where the Government had demanded action to tackle a shortage of graduates.The row began with a misunderstanding of how foundation courses worked, the universities said. While few of the established universities have followed the lead of De Montfort in Leicester, which launched its third series of television advertisements last week, most now feel they need to keep a high profile to attract students.Simon Willis, admissions officer at York, said funding penalties for under-recruitment made it essential for universities to fill places. "That does encourage us to look at the kinds of ways in which we can do that, and advertising is one way."Changes in the clearing system have also increased competition.

A total of 114,000 students are now eligible to enter clearing compared with 144,700 at the same time last year and 12,500 decisions still have to be made by universities. The figures show that 238,000 of the 270,000 places are now full compared with 221,500 at the same time last year. Other institutions included York, Keele, East Anglia and Essex.The latest Universities and Colleges Admissions Service listings are printed in Section Two of the Independent today. Among them were several of the big civic universities including Birmingham, Liverpool and Leicester. FRAN ABRAMS Education Correspondent Some of Britain's most well-established universities are being forced to market themselves more aggressively in the face of strong competition from the former polytechnics.Last week a quarter of the 80 "old" universities took out advertisements for students in the Independent.

There is little or no risk of pollution because of the absence of industry and intensive farming in an area about 1,000 feet above sea level.. People pay a lot to have water like this in bottles, but we pay much less than people in the next village who have ordinary mains water."The sources of the spring water for Cwmdu are believed to be several hundred feet underground in the Black Mountains. There is nothing added to this, and it's like having bottled water coming out of the tap. Members of the committee keep a very close eye on all the supplies and pipes and because we are so small we can take action to sort out any problems," said Mr Williams.Jeanette Baker, who recently returned to the village after a period away, said: "When you taste other water you can tell the difference. Any day-to-day work is done by volunteers.Unlike the big water companies, Cwmdu's losses through leakage are minimal "We try to keep everything very tight. Each household pays pounds 40, compared to an average charge of about pounds 130 for their neighbours supplied by Welsh Water.There are no full-time or paid staff in Cwmdu and the pipes and springs are checked on a rota basis by members of the management committee working in pairs. As far as I am aware the springs have never run out."The undertaking is run by a committee of 12 who are elected by consumers in the 50 properties in the village.

The springs are running a bit slower than usual, but there are no real problems. ROGER DOBSON The hot weather has finally caught up with the 129 custom-ers of what is believed to be Bri-tain's smallest water company. Customers in Cwmdu, Powys, who are supplied with spring water by the Cwmdu Water Undertaking, have been told to stop using hosepipes on their gardens.The water - which is so pure that the only addition is an occasional splash of Milton sterilising liquid when bacteria levels creep up - has been the sole supply to the village in the Brecon Beacons for as long as anyone can remember.The undertaking's chairman Gwyn Williams, who also runs the local bus company, said: "We have asked people not to use the hosepipes so that we can preserve the sources. "The forum will enable an exchange of views, and to see what is happening outside China with the women's liberation movement," says Professor Chen "We can use the opportunity to find out our common goals.". Then they take it out on their wives," she says.Like Ms Xie, Professor Chen will be a delegate to the non-governmental forum which starts tomorrow with up to 36,000 foreign participants Also attending will be up to 5,000 Chinese delegates.

She blames the new market economy rat-race."Many men feel inferior to their colleagues, or feel failures, or cannot make a lot of money, or lose money on the stock exchange. But women still pay a far higher financial and social cost than men, and the Jinglun centre spends a great deal of time helping women with the legal problems of sorting out a financial settlement for themselves and any child.Last year a separate telephone hotline was set up for victims of domestic violence, which has "really got worse", according to Professor Chen. The majority of divorces are initiated by women, many of whom are glad of the new freedom to escape intolerable marriages. Divorce in Peking last year hit 24.5 per cent, more than double the rate four years earlier. So we will persuade the wives that they can also be sexually active."A record number of marriages are failing. Yang Jing, one of the centre's counsellors, says: "From a traditional Chinese marriage attitude, the wife should be sexually passive But the mistress is active and more attractive to the man. For many middle-aged Chinese women, changing sexual mores seem threatening, and they are at a loss when their husbands take up with a younger woman.