§ 14. Mr. Hannanasked the Minister of Labour if he has considered one of the principal recommendations of the Advisory Council on Education in Scotland, namely, that teachers or student teachers should forthwith be indefinitely deferred from National Service; and if he will now announce his decision.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodYes, Sir. The views of the Advisory Council were among the matters taken into consideration before I announced changes in the arrangements for the deferment of teachers on 2nd July. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of my statement.
§ Mr. HannanWe are aware of the information to which the Minister refers, but the Council went further and asked that all teachers, including student teachers, should be exempt in view of the looming crisis in education in Scotland, which will mean a shortage of about 3,000 teachers by 1960. Will he reconsider this matter as one vital to the national interest?
§ Mr. MacleodI am aware of the point, but the distance we went on 2nd July in relation to first aid second class arts graduates was as far as we felt we could go at that time. I keep an open mind on the question, and I am always prepared to look at it.
Mr. JenningsWould my right hon. Friend care to state what the position is with regard to teachers and teachers in training in England and Wales at the present time?
§ Mr. MacleodI am not quite clear what my hon. Friend means by that wide question. If he means the number deferred under these proposals of mine in July, the answer is 229, including 31 in Scotland.