HC Deb 25 February 1964 vol 690 cc207-8
1. Mr. Swingler

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what facilities are provided by the literature bureaux to which he has given assistance in Commonwealth and Colonial Territories for the training of students in the writing, preparation, and publication of text books in the field of technical and non-technical education, respectively; and what financial assistance has been given by Her Majesty's Government for such projects in each territory, respectively, during the years 1960 to 1964.

The Secretary for Technical Co-operation (Mr. Robert Carr)

During the financial years 1960–61 to 1963–64 Her Majesty's Government contributed £60,300 to such literature bureaux. Twenty-six thousand pounds went to East Africa, £13,000 to Borneo, £16,000 to the South Pacific and £300 to Sierra Leone. No facilities such as the hon. Member mentions have been provided at the South Pacific Bureau since 1962. With regard to the other Bureaux which are in independent countries, I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

Mr. Swingler

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that information. In view of the enormous need for text books in the Commonwealth and for training people in their production, does he not think that the provision of a mere 12 bursaries at the University of London for the whole of the Commonwealth is a minute fractional contribution towards the solution of this problem? Cannot his Department do more to provide facilities for training people here in the preparation of text books?

Mr. Carr

I agree that this is something which should be looked into in the future, but I would remind the hon. Gentleman that we respond to requests and that so far requests of this kind have not been very voluminous. This is only part of the story, for there are also the low-priced book and other schemes of that kind.

Mr. G. M. Thomson

Does the right hon. Gentleman remember that he is not spending all the money which Parliament has offered to him for his low-priced book scheme? Would it not be worth while using some of this unused money to help these literature bureaux?

Mr. Carr

In view of the frequency with which the hon. Gentleman reminds me of this fact, I shall certainly not forget it. As I think he realises, the rate at which a scheme develops is not entirely in our hands. I can only assure him and the House that we are doing everything we can to speed it up.