HC Deb 16 December 1965 vol 722 cc1441-2
20. Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps are being taken to bring to the attention of medium and smaller companies the courses available at technological universities.

Mr. Crosland

Both universities and technical colleges make considerable efforts co do this. Many of them have established Industrial Liaison Centres, which pay particular attention to the needs of medium and smaller firms. Their cost is partly met by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology. Some 35 already exist, and this network is being extended.

Mr. Lloyd

Is it not a fact that the Arthur Committee on postgraduate engineering courses has underlined the point made by the Committee on Scientific Manpower that there is a gulf between many university departments and industry? Is it not the smaller firms which stand to gain most from these courses because they have not got their internal courses?

Mr. Crosland

Yes. I agree very much with both those propositions. This is an urgent question to which we have not yet found the right answer.

Mr. David Price

Is there not a further serious problem here, in that many firms do not yet appreciate the value of their middle grade staff going off and doing further postgraduate work, often as mature postgraduate students? I can give the right hon. Gentleman details of a number of cases, if he likes to have them, of obstructions put in the way of just the sort of mature students we require.

Mr. Crosland

I think that there are faults on both sides here. There is still a very considerable task of education to be accomplished. I hope that the publication of both the Willis Jackson and the Arthur Report will make an improvement in this matter, but I should be very happy to see any particular case which the hon. Gentleman cares to bring to my attention.