HC Deb 16 March 1948 vol 448 cc1885-6
67. Mr. Cook

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will give the figures of the number of students accepted in medicine, science, engineering and physics in St. Andrews, for the current year.

Mr. Glenvil Hall

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Cook

On a point of Order. May I have your guidance, Mr. Speaker? I have asked two Questions this afternoon, this Question and Question No. 46. In both cases, I put them to the Secretary of State for Scotland, only to find this morning that they were to be answered by the Prime Minister and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. I would like to know whether this is the usual order of procedure?

Mr. Speaker

That is an old question. A Member may put down a Question to any Minister, but it must be the right Minister. Presumably, the Questions which were altered by the Table were not so addressed. After all, the Secretary of State for Scotland cannot answer every Question. The position is that Questions must be addressed to the appropriate Minister.

Mr. Scollan

Are we to understand from your Ruling, Sir, that it is the Financial Secretary to the Treasury who is responsible for university education in St. Andrews, and the Prime Minister who is responsible for university education in Glasgow?

Mr. Pickthorn

Is it not a new suggestion that any Minister is responsible for university education in any part of the country?

Mr. Speaker

I was not suggesting anything of the kind. All I know is that Questions are put down and inquiries are made as to who is the right Minister to answer them. I am afraid that I do not know who is responsible for university education, or anything else. That is, and always has been, our procedure.

Following is the answer:

The numbers in the current year were:

Men Women
Medicine … … 53 21
Pure Science … … 82 35
Engineering … … 54 —

Separate figures for physics are not available.