§ 26. Mr. MAXTONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the officers of the Education Department who visited the Continent recently for the purpose of 179 studying Continental educational methods have made a report; and if such report is available for the use of Members?
§ Mr. SKELTONThe report is in course of preparation, but, until it has been submitted to my right hon. Friend and he has considered it, I cannot make any statement as to the last part of the question.
§ Mr. MAXTONIs it not eight or nine months since this visit was paid, and is it not rather a long time?
§ Mr. SKELTONNo. He returned early in November. We have, of course, had verbal discussions with him, and I hope his report will soon be in our hands.
§ Mr. CHARLES WILLIAMSDid they go to Russia and Germany?
§ Mr. SKELTONNo. My hon. Friend will be sorry to hear that they did not.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODThey went to Torquay.
§ Mr. HANNONWas this information meant particularly for Scotland, or was the whole country intended to have the advantage of the report?
§ Mr. SKELTONAs far as we are concerned, an official of the Scottish Education Department took a tour for the purpose largely of studying technical education in certain European countries, and the result of his observations will be presented to my right hon. Friend in the form of a report. As I said in answer to the question, it is a matter for consideration whether the report shall be published or not.
§ Sir IAN MACPHERSONcan my hon. Friend say whether they were seeking any information about educational endowments?
§ Mr. SKELTONNo. Thanks to my hon. Friends in this House, we have sufficient information on that point.