§ 67 and 68. Mr. ROBERT MORRISONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) in view of the fact that an 604 of coal royalties in the County of York; the number receiving £3,000 and over per year, and the number receiving below £3,000 before deduction of Income Tax; and the total amount paid to such owners during the years 1922–23 and 1923–24?
§ Mr. SNOWDENAs the answer is in tabular form I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ appreciable number of men for the Colonial forest service are trained at Cambridge and that they are not chosen until their course of education is complete, whether it is intended that the University of Cambridge shall receive a grant of £300 per annum from the Colonial Office on exactly the same footing as Oxford?
§ (2) asked the right hon. Member for Tiverton, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, in view of the fact that the Forestry Commission has made a grant of £5,000 per year for five years to the Oxford School of Forestry, whether a guarantee can be given that students chosen as probationers for Indian and Colonial forest services shall still continue to have the option of choosing their own centre of education in forestry, and that there shall be no preference shown to Oxford to the detriment of the other universities at which men have previously been trained in forestry for the Indian and Colonial services?
605§ Mr. ACLAND (Forestry Commissioner)I have been asked to take over the first of these questions. My reply will incorporate the answer to the second question on the same subject addressed to me by the hon. Member. The Colonial Office at present make no grants to British Universities in respect of forestry education. The Forestry Commissioners have no responsibility for the selection and training of Indian and Colonial Forest probationers, but make grants of £500 per annum both to Oxford and Cambridge Universities in respect of the degree and diploma courses for forestry. In addition the Commissioners and the Secretary of State for the Colonies are collaborating with the University of Oxford to set up an Imperial Forestry Institute at Oxford as recommended by the British Empire Forestry Conference and endorsed by the Imperial Economic Conference. The functions of the institute will be distinct from those of the existing schools of forestry, which remain unaltered, and will be to provide post-graduate training for selected probationers, special courses for senior officers in the various Forest Services, and, where required, the training of specialists in the methods of forestry research. It is proposed that the Forestry Commissioners and the Colonial Governments concerned shall contribute £2,000 and £3,000 respectively towards the annual cost of the institute.
§ Mr. MILLSIn choosing the students under this particular scheme, will any consideration be shown to children from the elementary schools as distinct from Oxford and Cambridge?
§ Mr. RAWLINSONWill the right hon. Gentleman answer that part of the question which asks
whether a guarantee can be given that students chosen as probationers for Indian and Colonial forest services shall still continue to have the option of choosing their own centre of education in forestry, and that there shall be no preference shown to Oxford to the detriment of the other universities at which men have previously been trained in forestry for the Indian and Colonial services?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONis the right hon. Gentleman going to give a grant to the other Universities, such as Edinburgh, which has specialised for many years in forestry?
§ Mr. HANNONWill the right hon. Gentleman consider Dublin University in this connection?
§ Sir H. BRITTAINIs it possible to do better than Oxford?
§ Mr. ACLANDI am able to carry in my mind only the first three supplementary questions. With regard to candidates coming from elementary schools, we would, of course, wish to, and, I think, should, encourage it in vary possible way. No conceivable differentiation could possibly be made. against thorn, at any rate. With regard to preference in connection with Indian and Colonial probationers, there will be no alteration whatever in allowing thorn the option of a centre for their forestry education. This new Imperial Institute is for a different purpose. With regard to Edinburgh, it has already had in a very large capital grant which Oxford and Cambridge have not had; that is to say, it has had the equivalent in capital of what Oxford and Cambridge are getting in annual grants.
§ Sir GEORGE BERRYWho made the grant?
§ Mr. ACLANDThe grant was made by the Government just before the Forestry Commission was set up, and it is paid out of the forestry funds at the disposal of the Government.
§ Viscount CURZONWill the right hon. Gentleman see that no preference is extended to Buskin College?
§ Mr. RAWLINSONIn reference to Question No. 67, will the right hon. Gentleman answer that part which asks
whether it is intended that the University of Cambridge shall receive a grant of £300 per annum from the Colonial Office on exactly the same footing as Oxford?
§ Mr. ACLANDNo grant, was made from the Colonial Office to Oxford, and, therefore, the question of Cambridge getting a grant from the Colonial Office did not arise.