HC Deb 09 February 1961 vol 634 cc593-4
1. Mr. Donnelly

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now establish a technological university in Great Britain on the lines of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Sir Edward Boyle)

No, Sir. It is the policy of the Government to look to the existing universities, university colleges, and colleges of advanced technology to set patterns of development. Full-time higher education in all its aspects will be considered by the Committee of Inquiry of which, as the hon. Gentleman will be aware, Lord Robbins has recently been appointed Chairman by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Mr. Donnelly

Has the Financial Secretary seen the announcement by Sir John Cockcroft that we shall need something of the nature of an M.I.T. university in addition to the existing plans of the Government in the next ten or fifteen years? What has he to say about that?

Sir E. Boyle

I have seen that observation. I think that, now that this highly important Committee of Inquiry has been appointed, this is obviously one of the important subjects which will come within its purview. It is worth remembering that the University Grants Committee envisages that two-thirds of the places in the enlarged university buildings programme announced on 25th January will be occupied by students reading science and technology.

Dr. A. Thompson

Will the Minister bear in mind that the German experiment in technological universities, where they have eight of these universities producing 50,000 graduates annually, has been extremely successful? Is not there something to be said for a system different from the ancient form of university structure, and more appropriate to technological research, organised on similar lines to the institutes in America and Germany?

Sir E. Boyle

Yes, Sir. I am quite sure that the Committee of Inquiry will wish to consider the experience in all parts of the world. But I think that hon. Gentlemen will agree that the pattern of university development appropriate for one country may not be appropriate in exactly the same form for another country.