38. Miss Leeasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement regarding the appointment of the mission on higher technical education in the British Caribbean in relation to present and future needs, and in the light of probable financial resources; and what is the present United Kingdom contribution towards higher technical education in the British Caribbean territories and the number of advisers at present employed in the area from the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. ProfumoAs the Answer is rather long, I will with permission circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Following is the Answer:The mission has been appointed after consultation with the British Caribbean Governmentsto consider proposed developments in the field of higher technical and technological education in the British Caribbean in relation to present and future needs; and in the light of probable financial resources to make recommendations.The mission, which is now in the Caribbean, consist of Mr. G. S. V. Better, Educational Adviser to the Comptroller for Development & Welfare in the West Indies (Chairman); Dr. F. J. Harlow, nominated by the Advisory Committee on Colonial Colleges of Arts, 195 Science and Technology; and Professor J. A. L. Matheson, nominated by the Inter-University Council for Higher Education Overseas.The United Kingdom Government at present contribute £47,000 each year to the ordinary finances of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad, and are to contribute up to £65,000 towards a new student hostel and an animal nutrition unit. Grants are also made for research purposes. In addition to the services which the College provides for the Commonwealth as a whole, it provides facilities for agricultural students below graduate level, which are particularly valuable to the Caribbean. A capital grant of £10,000 has also been made for the sub-Department of Chemical Technology at the University College of the West Indies.It is the mission's main task to make recommendations on the development of other higher technical education facilities in the area.The Governments of Barbados, British Honduras and Jamaica employ officers from this country to take charge of their institutes of technical education and for some of the higher teaching posts while there is a vacancy in British Guiana for a principal of the technical institute for which a suitable candidate is being sought. U.N.E.S.C.O. has provided Trinidad with an adviser in this field, while Mr. Petter's normal duties cover higher technical education.