HL Deb 19 January 1967 vol 279 cc218-9

3.24 p.m.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what grant has been made to the Administration in Rhodesia for the period of the next three months in support of the University of Salisbury which was established as an inter-racial institution.]

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, no grant has been made to the illegal régime in Rhodesia, but £62,500 has been paid into the University College bank account in London in respect of the first quarter of 1967.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, whilst appreciating the necessity to maintain this University, pending the eventual collapse of the illegal Smith regime, is it not a fact that at present the academic board controlling bursaries for African students has been replaced by civil servants responsible to the Smith administration, and that scholarships are being denied to Africans for technical and academic studies and limited to subordinate studies for jobs to which the Africans are restricted in Rhodesia? Is this not a form of educational apartheid?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I quite agree with my noble friend that it is an advantage to everyone to have this University College operating fully, ready for the day when Rhodesia returns to legal government. But I should have thought it was also an advantage to have the College operating there in the meantime while it is offering places to African students. The number of African students who have applied for admission for the next academic year is higher than ever before. It is, as yet, too early to say how many of those applicants will be granted bursaries by the Rhodesian Scholarship Board.

LORD BROCKWAY

Yes, my Lords; but is it not the case that of the 121 university staff, 70 have either been expelled or have resigned, and that a fourth of the African students have left, either compulsorily or voluntarily?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, there have been changes, but I would advise my noble friend not to be too pessimistic about the effect of the changes. In fact I was interested to read the Press statement issued by the College Council, as at present constituted and reflecting the views of present staff, in which they say that they are determined to maintain the autonomy of the College under the Charter as a centre of higher education and research for the benefit of all, regardless of race, creed or political opinion. I should have thought it was too early yet to say that they were not going to honour their commitments.

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE EARL OF LONGFORD)

My Lords, it is not for me to know what the noble Lord, Lord Brockway is about to say, but I think the formula "Is it not the fact that…?"can be carried rather far, and it has led in the last few minutes to a number of statements of the kind that were rather deprecated in the recent Report of the Procedure Committee.

LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, have Her Majesty's Government been able to ascertain whether the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, is in favour of, or against, giving a grant to this university?

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend if the Government are prepared to reconsider, after this three months' grant, whether in fact this college is maintained on the multiracial basis of which, in reply to the question raised by the noble Lord, Lord Conesford, I am entirely in favour?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the whole purpose of paying this grant in quarterly instalments is to enable Her Majesty's Government to have closer control, and certainly within the next three-monthly period there will be a number of factors which will make the future more clear. For example, it will be important to see how many of the Africans who have applied for scholarships will be granted them, and it will also be interesting to see the nature of the appointment of the Principal of the College.