HL Deb 16 April 1958 vol 208 cc753-4

2.35 p.m.

LORD WISE

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether sufficient use is being made of the facilities provided by existing farm institutes and if there should be waiting lists for admission in any counties will action be taken to meet such demand.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD (EARL ST. ALDWYN)

My Lords, there are still vacancies at some farm institutes, particularly in Wales. At institutes where there are no vacancies, applicants are generally advised where else to apply. The number of institute places required in the future is one of the matters receiving the attention of a Committee under the chairmanship of my noble friend Lord De La Warr, which is reviewing the further education for agriculture provided by the local education authorities.

LORD WISE

My Lords, arising out of that Answer, for which I thank the noble Earl, can he give me an 'assurance that at the moment there is no alteration in the rules governing the admission of pupils of the farm institutes, whether they are farmers' children or farm workers' children? And could he tell me, also, whether there is any arrangement made, either at the institutes or elsewhere, for the employment—and proper employment—of pupils leaving the institutes, so that their services are retained in agriculture and they are not likely to go elsewhere?

EARL ST. ALDWYN

My Lords, as the noble Lord will appreciate, the farm institutes are under the control of the local education authorities and it is up to them to make what regulations they wish for admission to their institutes. But certainly, to the best of my knowledge, there has been no alteration in the arrangements for admission of either farmers' sons or farmworkers' sons. As regards the second point, I am afraid there is no precise information about the subsequent careers of ex-institute students, but I understand that it is the experience of farm institute principals that the great majority of students do remain in practical agriculture and many of them obtain posts of skill and responsibility.