Teachers

HC Deb 11 April 1961 vol 638 cc13-7

21. Mr. Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from teachers concerning the delay in negotiating their wage claim; and when he expects to receive the recommendations of the National Joint Council on this matter.

The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. John Maclay)

I have received one letter from a teacher complaining of the time taken in the negotiations on the present wage claim. I received a recommendation from the National Joint Council late yesterday.

Mr. Hamilton

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that, although he may have received only one letter, there are great anxieties in the teaching profession about the continued delay in this matter? Will he say when a settlement will be reached and whether there will be any retrospection in it?

Mr. Maclay

No, Sir. I cannot give any details about the future. I have only just received the recommendation.

22. Mr. G. M. Thomson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the prospects for the recruitment of teachers with ordinary arts degrees from the Dundee area.

Mr. Maclay

Of eighteen ordinary arts graduates expected to complete teacher training at the Dundee College in June, twelve come from Dundee, Angus or Perthshire.

Recruitment of graduates throughout the county has risen greatly in recent years, and I hope that there will be an increasing number of graduates at Dundee.

Mr. Thomson

Is the Secretary of State aware that there is a certain amount of concern in Dundee about the proposed closing of the ordinary arts degree course at Queen's College, Dundee, and that there is anxiety lest this may hold up the recruitment of teachers and affect the cultural life of the city? While I appreciate that this is not his direct responsibility, will he support the representations being made by the Dundee Education Committee that this decision should be postponed for a year in order that the public interest as well as the university interest may be more thoroughly investigated?

Mr. Maclay

The hon. Member clearly realises that I have no say in these matters and cannot properly have a say in them. He will not expect me to do more than comment that doubtless his remarks wall be noticed.

25. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the discontentment of Scottish school teachers resulting from the proposed regulations modifying teachers' superannuation arrangements which empower the Secretary of State to make payments in lieu from the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Account because this new procedure will inflict hardship on the teachers and involves payments which that account should not be called on to bear; and if he will revise his proposals to meet these objections.

Mr. Maclay

I have received a number of representations on this matter, but the proposed modification will not involve any hardship on teachers. Any deficiency in the Superannuation Account that may arise from payments in lieu, as from any other cause, will fall to be met by the employers.

Mr. Hughes

Does the Secretary of State not realise that that kind of answer does not satisfy the discontents of the teachers and that those discontents are imperilling education in Scotland and depressing it below the level of Britain's competitors in educational and other matters? Will he take stops to resolve these discontents in a way which will satisfy the teachers and restore confidence in the education system in Scotland?

Mr. Maclay

I think the hon. and learned Member can help me in this matter by making certain that Answers such as I have given to his Question are properly understood by the persons concerned.

28. Mr. Rankin

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals were made to him at his recent meeting with representatives of Glasgow Corporation as a means of averting the threatened strike of teachers.

Mr. Maclay

The representatives of Glasgow Corporation whom I met yesterday made a number of suggestions for improving the recruitment of teachers and their conditions of service. These were fully discussed and both the representatives of the Corporation and I undertook to examine certain of them further.

Mr. Rankin

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that today's Glasgow Herald tells us that means of relieving the teaching crisis by increasing wages were discussed? Is that correct or not? If it is, will the eight-point programme which was submitted to him form part of those discussions to avert the threatened strike? Could he say how many of those eight points he is prepared to accept?

Mr. Maclay

Of the eight points discussed there were some which the Corporation representatives undertook to examine further and some which I undertook to examine further. It was a very useful discussion, but the implications of those particular questions do not arise on this Question as such.

Mr. G. M. Thomson

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is to be a further meeting between himself and Glasgow Corporation before the date of the threatened strike?

Mr. Maclay

This meeting with the Corporation was not directed towards this grave issue, but was a general meet-ting—with that in the background, I agree—on the problem which has arisen of their getting the teachers which they must have.

Mr. Rankin

Is it not the case that one of the points submitted to the right hon. Gentleman was the payment to those retired teachers who return to teaching of their pension plus the salary they are earning? Has he come to any considered conclusion about that point?

Mr. Maclay

On that point I gave the representatives the same information as I gave recently in answer to Questions on the point on the Floor of the House.