HC Deb 01 July 1965 vol 715 cc805-7
18. Mr. Harold Walker

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for providing further facilities for studies in industrial management.

Mr. Crosland

As I said in reply to the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Charles Morrison) on 25th June, there has been in recent years a substantial development of education for management. Good progress is being made with the establishment of the business schools at London and Manchester Universities. I have recently agreed to the establishment of a new Chair of Industrial Management at the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield; in addition, the management schools at a number of major technical colleges and colleges of commerce have been, or are in process of being, expanded.

Mr. Walker

Is my right hon. Friend aware that outside the major industrial centres there is little evidence of the developments to which he has referred and that such information as is available suggests that the majority of the people engaged in industrial management have no formal qualifications or training for the positions which they occupy? Is he aware that if we are to get the full benefits of what we want to do for technological development, we must have people in industry who know how to apply these things? Will he see that we do a jolly sight more than we are doing at present?

Mr. Crosland

With respect to my hon. Friend, I do not think that the position is quite as he describes it. It is not so much a question of a shortage of provision for management studies as a fact that facilities for management studies are being under-used by commerce and industry.

Mr. J. H. Osborn

Can the right hon. Gentleman qualify his Answer in connection with the Cranfield work study school which has a long waiting list? He said that he has established a new chair. Will he expand the activities in management and work study drastically there in view of the long waiting list?

Mr. Crosland

If the hon. Member will put down a detailed Question on that subject, I will answer it.

Sir H. Legge-Bourke

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider discussing with universities and governing bodies of colleges of advanced technology the respective rôles which postgraduate study at universities and study at colleges of advanced technology may have in this respect? Is he aware that postgraduate study at university is particularly important in this respect and that it may well be that the colleges of advanced technology themselves can help?

Mr. Crosland

I am obliged to the hon. Member. I am aware of that fact. The position is that I expect to receive later this year a second report from the United Kingdom Advisory Council on Education for Management which is considering the question of management education in the technical colleges and colleges of commerce. That will enable us to look at the subject in conjunction with the problems of the C.A.T.s to which he referred.

Mr. Heffer

When he is considering the question of management studies, will my right hon. Friend also consider the development of schools for the study of industrial relations? I feel that we are a long way behind the United States in this field. I hope that alongside business schools there will be developed schools for industrial relations to which trade unionists, too, can go in order to obtain the benefit of this type of education.

Mr. Crosland

I am sympathetic to the objective which my hon. Friend has in mind but it raises rather a different question. Perhaps he would be kind enough to put down a Question on the Order Paper for me to answer.