§ 3. Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans are being made to increase the total numbers of girls training to become engineers and scientists.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Mr. Goronwy Roberts)All the work in hand applies to girls equally with boys. This includes studies of the flow of students of science and technology into higher education; a new schools council project to cost £180,000; and general publicity measures.
§ Mr. WinnickI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply. Does not there still exist a feeling in the country that science and engineering are not for girls, and is not there a good deal of wasted ability and talent as a result? Did my hon. Friend see the informative article in The Times a few weeks ago?
§ Mr. RobertsI agree that a good deal needs to be done to prove, among others to employers, that girls have a capacity for engineering and technology. The measures which we are taking through the organisation of exhibitions and the publication of long lists of informative material will, we hope, help to make good this deficit. I am aware of the article to which my hon. Friend referred. I agree that it was most informative and helpful.