§ 6. Mr. Templeasked the Minister of Education how many colleges or seats of learning in England and Wales are 391 offering courses for the training of hydrologist-engineers; what has been the average number of students taking these courses in the last two years; and what proportion of these students have come from overseas.
§ Mr. ChatawayImperial College, London, has since 1955 offered a diploma course attended by from six to nine post-graduate students annually, mainly from overseas.
Chelsea College of Science and Technology offers a ten-week evening course attended by from ten to fifteen postgraduate students, most of them from this country.
King's College, Newcastle, will offer a post-graduate diploma course in 1963–64, and in the same year the Loughborough College of Advanced Technology will offer a two-week postgraduate residential course.
In addition, several universities and colleges of technology have offered hydrology as components of more general courses in geography and civil engineering, but returns of student numbers are not sufficiently detailed to allow the identification of the students concerned.
§ Mr. TempleI thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but does not he agree that it discloses a disturbing shortage in our training capacity for hydrologist-engineers? In view of the necessity for more hydrologist-engineers, can the Minister say whether his right hon. Friend will consider making proposals to increase the number of places available to students who wish to take such courses?
§ Mr. ChatawayMy right hon. Friend is fully aware of the need to increase the supply, especially in the light of the provisions of the Water Resources Bill which is now before Parliament. The Ministry is at present considering, in consultation with the Institution of Water Engineers, the provision of the necessary facilities.