§ 17. Mr. Wainwrightasked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science how many physiology departments in British universities possess more than one full professorship.
§ Mr. WainwrightDoes the right hon. Gentleman know that, according to information I have, there is only one physiology department in this country which has more than one full professor? Will he bear in mind that the ratio in America, taking the equivalents of staff and students, is one in 3.2? Is not this one of the main factors in the growing exodus of professors and lecturers from this country? There is no hope of promotion for them here.
§ Mr. HoggBirmingham University has a professor of physiology and also a professor of physiological chemistry. Cambridge has chairs of physiology and a professor of the physiology of reproduction. University College, London, has two chairs of physiology, while Guy's Hospital Medical School has a chair of physiology and a chair of physiology with reference to dentistry.
§ Mr. CrossmanAs the right hon. and learned Gentleman's Department has advised him to look on professorships as the main cause of the "brain drain", what steps is he taking to increase the number of departments with more than one professor?
§ Mr. HoggThe allocation of posts and the setting up of chairs is, apart from the Royal Society professorships, of which I spoke the other day, for the 229 individual institutions and the University Grants Committee. I accept the recommendation of the Robbins Committee about the necessity for multiple chairs in university departments and the view that the one-professor faculty is outmoded.
§ Mr. CrossmanHaving accepted it, what will the right hon. and learned Gentleman do to impose his view on the Committee?