§ MR. WILLIAM JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Municipal Technical School of Belfast, which was opened only a few months ago, and is still conducting its classes in temporary premises, has upwards of 100 teachers and assistant teachers and about 3,000 students, and, seeing that Belfast, although it is the industrial centre of Ireland, is unprovided with a college of science for the training of teachers of applied science, whether he will advocate the transfer to Belfast of the Royal College of Science at present situate in Dublin, or whether he will take steps to introduce a Bill to establish in Belfast for the industrial population of Ulster a college of science fully equipped and endowed.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe Government is extremely gratified at the energy displayed by Belfast in the furtherance of technical instruction, and more especially to learn from the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction that the scheme adopted in Belfast is a distinct success. The suggestion that the Royal College of Science in Dublin should be transferred to Belfast, is not, however, practicable or desirable. That College is a national Institution, serving the needs of the whole country, throughout which, exclusive of Belfast, there are 454 schools and classes working in connection with the Department's schemes of Technical Instruction.