17. Mr. Compton Carrasked the Minister of Health how many persons are employed for teaching purposes in training centres; how many of those so employed are recognised as qualified teachers by the Ministry of Education; and how many are paid salaries commensurate with the salaries they would receive if they were employed in special schools.
§ Miss PittThe number employed in England and Wales at the end of 1959 was 1,496 full-time and 48 part-time. I regret that the information requested in the rest of the Question is not available.
Mr. CarrI cannot help but regret that the information is not available. Would it not be fair to say that very few are qualified teachers? If that is so, what is the Ministry going to do about it?
§ Miss PittI think it would be fair to guess that that might be a reasonable assumption, but the Ministry is doing something about it. In the course of the Adjournment debate, I think I told my hon. Friend that we had set up a sub-committee of the Mental Health Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of Dr. J. A. Scott, the Medical Officer of Health of the London County Council, to consider the training of staff in training centres for the mentally subnormal, and that sub-committee is at present taking written evidence.
§ Mr. Sydney IrvingIs it not time that the isolation of these teachers from the rest of the teaching profession was ended? Is the hon. Lady aware that, despite the recommendation of the Royal Commission, there are many people who still believe that these occupation centres should come under the jurisdiction of her colleague the Minister of Education?
§ Miss PittThat is a question of policy and does not arise out of this, but, as I know from my own experience, those who help at these training centres need qualities additional to the academic training associated with teachers.