§ LORD BEAUMONT oF WHITLEYMy 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 the Secretary of State for Education and Science will order an inquiry into recent events at Guildford and Hornsey Colleges of Art.]
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science has already asked a Joint Committee of the National Advisory Council on Art Education and the National Council for Diplomas in Art and Design to examine the structure and content of art and design education. The Committee's report, which he expects to receive early in 1969, will have a bearing on the situation at Guildford and at Hornsey.
§ LORD BEAUMONT OF WHITLEYMy Lords, while thanking the noble Baroness for her Answer, may I ask her whether she is aware that she has not answered my Question? The report, although we look forward to it enormously, will not deal with such things as individual sackings of staff and students. Therefore, may I have leave to ask my Question again?
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, perhaps it would be useful if I reminded the noble Lord that a Bill which I had the honour to present in your Lordships' House made the local authorities masters in their own house. Indeed, the dismissal and appointment of teaching staff 562 must always be the responsibility of the local education authority.
§ LORD BEAUMONT OF WHITLEYMy Lords, I am grateful for that answer. May I ask, therefore, whether the Secretary of State is quite satisfied that he has sufficient powers under existing legislation to deal with the problems that have arisen at Hornsey and Guildford?
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, I think my right honourable friend feels at the moment that the situation is best met by letting the two Colleges work out their new internal arrangements and giving them time to try to resolve the various problems that have arisen.
§ LORD BEAUMONT OF WHITLEYMy Lords, I apologise, but I asked whether the Secretary of State is satisfied that he has sufficient powers to deal with cases like this. I do not think that question has been answered.
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, I am not quite sure that my right honourable friend is completely satisfied with anything, any more than the rest of us are. I strongly suspect that the noble Lord is trying to get from me a direct answer which he will then use in another way, and he is not going to get it. He will appreciate that the matters that would have to be investigated in an inquiry of this nature must of necessity concern staff and content of education, subjects which are already dealt with in a very satisfactory way.
§ LORD BEAUMONT OF WHITLEYMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for telling me that I shall not get a straight answer.