§ 30. Dr. A. Thompsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will appoint a small committee of inquiry to examine the means by which the Scottish universities fulfil their obligations under Section 30 of the Universities (Scotland) Act, 1889, and to recommend ways in which the responsibilities of the Scottish universities to provide information to Parliament and to the public can be best achieved.
§ Mr. MaclayNo, Sir. I have not been aware of any need to review the question of the provision to Parliament of information about Scottish universities.
§ Dr. A. ThompsonIs the Secretary of State aware that, although the Scottish Universities Commission, which was set up under the 1889 Act, laid down that the four Scottish universities should publish each year in their calendars a full financial statement, the universities have in fact ceased to do this, in the case of Glasgow since 1913, St. Andrew's since 1917, Edinburgh since 1921, and Aberdeen since 1938? Will he look into the reasons why they ceased to publish their statements?
§ Mr. MaclayI shall look into that, but a great deal of information regarding the activities of universities is contained 1166 in the annual Command Paper, "Returns from Universities and University Colleges in Receipt of Treasury Grant", published by the U.G.C.
§ Sir M. GalpernIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that it is the practice of English universities to publish an annual report and that a similar publication from each of the Scottish universities would in all probability satisfy the inquisitiveness of Scottish Members.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Let there be less noise. Half the intellectual pleasure of Questions is lost if one cannot hear what one is supposed to be aware of.
§ Mr. MaclayI shall certainly examine what the hon. Member has said.