§ 25. Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he is giving to establishing a teacher training college at Stirling.
§ Mr. DalyellIn the light of what the Robbins Committee had to say, why not?
§ Mr. NobleFor the perfectly simple reason that I am advised on these matters by the Scottish Council for the Training of Teachers, which asked my Department—and I agreed—to establish a college at Falkirk.
§ Miss HerbisonBefore the Secretary of State decides on the location of a college of education, what discussion has he with representatives of the leaching profession in Scotland? Can he tell us—this being the last chance he will have of doing so in this Parliament—what decision, if any, he has made on the recommendation of the Wheatley Committee on the setting up of a general teaching council, since a letter which I received from the Under-Secretary yesterday seems to cast doubt on the integrity and responsibility of the teachers of Scotland and seems to suggest that the Secretary of State has no intention of setting up a general teaching council?
§ Mr. NobleI admire the hon. Lady's ingenuity, but the Wheatley Committee is a quite different question which I could not answer in relation to this one. To answer the first part of her supplementary question, I am certain that the Scottish Council for the Training of Teachers has very close relations with the teaching organisations in giving its advice to me.
§ Miss HerbisonDoes that reply mean that the Secretary of State is determined not to give any answer at all to the teachers of Scotland before the General Election?
§ Mr. DalyellWhat representations did the Secretary of State make to the U.G.C. about the location of the teacher training college at Falkirk? Was this discussed before the Stirling decision was made?
§ Mr. DalyellNo, it is not.
§ Mr. Noble—and all I say is that this decision to have the college at Falkirk was made a year before the U.G.C. was considering the university.