HC Deb 07 December 1976 vol 922 cc215-6
9. Mrs. Renèe Short

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what use will be made of the residential and teaching facilities, including libraries, classrooms, sports facilities, student unions and halls of residence, of all the teacher training colleges she has ordered to be closed.

Mr. Oakes

The colleges which are being closed will only become vacant for other purposes over the next few years, and their future use or disposal is the responsibility of the maintaining authority or trustees. In the circumstances, the information requested is not available.

Mrs. Short

Is my hon. Friend aware that the best engineering departments in universities and polytechnics are generally over-subscribed and need room for expansion? Is he aware that there is thought to be a need for boarding-school accommodation within the State system? Will he give thought to this proposal and have broad consultations with as many interested people as possible, and make sure that this considerable capital investment is used to the best educational advantage?

Mr. Oakes

My hon. Friend is quite right. Primarily where premises are to become vacant, we try to find whether there is an alternative educational use. Failing this, we see whether the Property Services Agency has any use for the property. But we are concerned that as far as practicable alternative use within the education sector is fully considered.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Is the Minister aware that Avery Hill College in my constituency is threatened and could be taken over by the PSA? This college has seven out of 12 courses in shortage subjects such as science, mathematics and the training of teachers for the physically handicapped and disabled. Will the Minister tell us whether the Department is neutral or, at least, whether it is supposed to be supporting diversified independent teacher training colleges?

Mr. Oakes

Primarily we look to the education sector, as I told my hon. Friend. This applies to all the matters mentioned by the hon. Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Bottomley), including his reference to the shortage subjects. As far as general closures of some teacher training colleges are concerned, an announcement will be made in the near future.

Mr. Weetch

Is my hon. Friend aware that Hockerill College of Education completed a students' union building at great expense in the very week when it was announced that the college would be closed? This deplorable set of circumstances was not based on any coherent long-term view of training facilities. The closure of small colleges of education is a retrograde step. I hope that my hon. Friend will look at it again.

Mr. Oakes

This particular college of education was the responsibility of my predecessor in office, but the closure was necessary at the time. We have a number of criteria which we look at when considering closures. The programme which we are trying to achieve is to have sufficient colleges to satisfy the likely demand for teachers in the 1980s with a capability of expansion if the figures of the demographers are proved wrong.