HC Deb 30 June 1960 vol 625 cc1549-50
33. Mr. Skeffington

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Tanganyikans are in receipt of scholarships at United Kingdom universities and are reading for an honours course.

Mr. Iain Macleod

Thirty-seven, of whom two are reading for honours degrees in science and 14 are taking postgraduate courses.

Mr. Skeffington

Will the Colonial Secretary agree that this is a rather small number for a country of 8 million Africans which is closely approaching independence? Is he aware that offers are coming from universities in the United States, and from Iron Curtain countries, for Tanganyikans to go there, and would it not be a good idea if we gave greater encouragement for Tanganyikans to come to British universities?

Mr. Macleod

The full figures are not as small as may, perhaps, appear. The hon. Gentleman's Question, of course, limited my Answer. There are 450 students in all, 77 of whom are at universities, and these, of course, are considerably higher figures that the one I gave. Naturally, I entirely take the point that, for a country which has progressed so far, the more students of this sort it has the better.