§ 10. Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will next meet the vice-chancellor of the Open University to discuss the expansion of programmes of continuing education.
§ Mr. BrookeMy right hon. Friend has been invited by the vice-chancellor to visit the Open University and he will be replying shortly.
§ Mr. SheermanWill the Secretary of State use the opportunity of his visit to the Open University to consider some of the criminal damage that has been done to that institution in the last year? [Interruption.] I refer to damage done not by the students but by the right hon. Gentleman and the Government, who had a golden opportunity to expand the Open University for continuing education and to develop courses for people who must change their careers in midstream and who must train and retrain if they are not to be unemployed. There has been a savage cut in the number of courses, teachers and students. Will the Secretary of State explain why, to add insult to injury, the Open University has been asked to borrow £1 million at criminally high rates of interest to expand its continuing education?
§ Mr. BrookeAs I said, my right hon. Friend has been invited to visit the university and will be replying shortly. I am sure that he will welcome listening to everything that the people at the Open University have to say to him.