MINISTERS are facing calls to change the university admissions system to ensure fair access to pupils from poorer backgrounds.

Iain Gray, Scottish Labour's opportunity spokesman, made the call after the publication of the interim report of the Commission on Widening Access, which was set up by the Scottish Government.

The commission said all Scottish universities should consider accepting poorer pupils with significantly lower grades than middle class applicants to address a "fundamental unfairness" in the system.

Instead of being detrimental to the principle of academic excellence, as some fear, the move to support students from less affluent backgrounds would enhance excellence, an interim report concludes.

Growing evidence, it said, suggested pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds with lower entry grades did just as well as other students if given the appropriate support.

Mr Gray said: "This report shows that whatever slow progress might have been made over the years, the gap in university level study between the richest and the rest remains huge.

"It is also clear that almost all of the universities perform below the average in providing access to students from the poorest parts of Scotland and what success we have is largely down to a handful of institutions.

"All universities are going to have to play their part and the report makes clear that will involve changing their admissions systems. The First Minister should show she is serious about this now by giving early notice that this will happen."

Shona Struthers, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, also welcomed the report - which highlighted the role played by the further education sector in widening access.

She said: "The report highlights the enhanced role colleges now play in delivering higher education and providing many students from more deprived backgrounds a clear route into post-16 education.

"In light of the ability of colleges to reach out and attract students from more deprived backgrounds, the Commission recognises that articulation pathways between colleges and universities are vitally important."

The commission, which is chaired by Dame Ruth Silver, was set up by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in November after concerns initiatives to improve access to university were not making sufficient progress.

Although numbers have improved in recent years just 1,335 school-leavers from the poorest 20 per cent of households went to university in Scotland in 2013/14 compared to 5,520 from the richest 20 per cent of communities.

In universities such as St Andrews, Aberdeen and Edinburgh less than than five per cent of their intake comes from the poorest communities.