§ 2.44 p.m.
§ LORD HAIRE OF WHITEABBEYMy Lords, I beg leave 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 they expect to report on the question of the University of the Air in sufficient time to enable a pilot scheme to be introduced during the academic year of 1966–67.]
§ LORD SNOWMy Lords, the present review of the financial, technical, and organisational implications of a University of the Air will enable the Government to decide when a start could be made on implementing the scheme as a whole. There is at present no intention of introducing a pilot scheme.
§ LORD HAIRE OF WHITEABBEYMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that reply, may I ask whether he realises that in the past two years certain pilot schemes have already been run, independently, by certain television authorities, notably Ulster Television, in conjunction with the local university, Queen's University, of Belfast, and that their evidence of achievement is avail- 484 able? Is he also aware that each year thousands of suitable students are not admitted to existing universities because of shortness of places, and, therefore, the sooner the University of the Air gets going, the sooner such students will get rid of their sense of frustration?
§ LORD SNOWMy Lords, answering the first part of my noble friend's question, the fact that these successful experiments have been made is precisely the reason why we do not want to have a pilot scheme. We already know enough about the subject. As to the second question, the noble Lord knows as well as I do that he is preaching to the converted, because nobody believes more than the Government that there are many people who ought to have an education but who at present are being deprived of the opportunity of getting it.
THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGHMy Lords, while supporting the noble Lord, Lord Haire of Whiteabbey, in this matter, may I ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that in the B.B.C.'s Annual Report and Accounts published this year it is stated that where the Government decide to increase the range of educational broadcasting the B.B.C. will be glad to accept a grant-in-aid comparable to that which they receive for external broadcasting? Would not the Minister agree that the application of the grant-in-aid principle might be a good solution if adopted in conjunction with other schemes?
§ LORD SNOWMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government are well aware of this possibility, and we are closely studying it. But it must be remembered that this problem is closely linked with the first Question on the Order Paper this afternoon, asked by the noble Earl, and I do not think we ought to be pressed further at this moment. We are very close to a decision, but at the moment we have not actually arrived at that decision.