§ 5. Mrs. Shirley Williamsasked the Minister of Overseas Development what technical assistance and other forms of 209 aid Her Majesty's Government will make available for the fourth Five Year Plan of the Government of India; and, in particular, if she will consider helping the training of industrial designers.
§ Mrs. CastleDecisions on the level and form of British aid for the fourth Five Year Plan must await discussions with the Indian Government when they have taken their decisions on the shape and size of the Plan, which is to cover the years 1966–71.
We shall certainly consider any request for assistance in training industrial designers.
§ Mrs. WilliamsIs my right hon. Friend aware of how much excitement has been caused by the establishment and work of her Ministry in the under-developed countries. Second, will she ensure that we co-operate at every level, including the original design level and the provision of machinery when we create new capital projects in these countries?
§ Mrs. CastleI agree entirely that an important part of our aid consists in the training of experts in the recipient country itself, and I shall always do my best to meet any requests from the Government of India that Indian engineers and others should participate in preparing designs and specifications for future projects.
§ Mr. TilneyIs the right hon. Lady aware of the bottleneck in technical education aid teacher training in India and does she realise that help in this matter, particularly over audio-visual aids, would be very much appreciated? Could British industry in both the public and the private sector help in the training of instructors and supervisors?
§ Mrs. CastleThe answer to both those questions is, Yes, Sir.