§ 18. Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to receive the Finniston report on engineering manpower and when he expects to publish it.
§ Sir Keith JosephShortly: and soon.
§ Mr. DouglasDoes the Secretary of State concede that the sooner that is done the better, because we are anxious to have this report on engineering manpower before the Government destroy our manufacturing engineering base?
§ Sir K. JosephYes. The Government eagerly await the report. Under Sir Monty Finniston the committee must have worked extremely hard to be so near to publishing a report only two years after it was appointed.
§ Mr. John H. OsbornHas my right hon. Friend received a copy of the report? Will he bear in mind that learned societies and industrial organisations are planning meetings with the intention of discussing this matter, and that without a more definite date than "soon" this is difficult to arrange?
§ Sir K. JosephYes. I sympathise with their need, but I am sure that Sir Monty Finniston will do his best to tell them of the likely date. I have not had a copy of the final report.
§ Mr. DalyellAs a senior member of the Cabinet, is the Secretary of State concerned with the parlous situation in many engineering departments in universities, given the rise in overseas students' fees and the consequences that flow from that for the engineering departments?
§ Sir K. JosephNo. I have formed a high impression of the vitality of those engineering departments in universities that I recently visited.