§ 2.51 p.m.
§ Lord Taylor of BlackburnMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the suggestion of the Engineering Council that engineers who are also mathematicians and physicists and who are nearing retirement should take early retirement and join the teaching profession.
§ Baroness HooperMy Lords, the Government are taking a number of measures to attract engineers and other suitably qualified people to change to a career in teaching by, for example, special funding for initiatives in higher education institutions, the development of better industry and education links, and the introduction of a £1,200 bursary scheme for students.
§ Lord Taylor of BlackburnMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. May I ask the noble Baroness whether she will go on encouraging the Engineering Council in the way that they are going, in making suggestions for people from their ranks to take up posts in education?
§ Baroness HooperYes indeed, my Lords. The Government welcome the Engineering Council's concern and interest in this matter. I am sure that the industrial affiliate organisation of the Engineering Council, which has a loose network of subscribers from the public utilities and other major industrial companies who gather together to discuss items of common interest, will prove extremely helpful, and officials are currently giving further consideration to the best ways to tap into this matter.
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMy Lords, would the noble Baroness not agree that these laudable objectives would be better secured if the Government were to refrain from their hamfisted attempt to intervene in the teachers pay negotiations, which are rapidly approaching a successful conclusion, and to withdraw the Teachers' Pay and Conditions Bill?
§ Baroness HooperNo, my Lords.
§ Lady KinlossMy Lords, did the Minister see a report in the Daily Express of Tuesday, 2nd December last, that Margaret Chavington, the director of the Think British Campaign, welcomes the £100 million plan for a pilot network of technology schools? Can the Minister say whether this is a government plan, where they hope to build the technology schools, and whether they would consider employing these retired teachers in these schools?
§ Baroness HooperMy Lords, I am not absolutely aware of the particular reference in the newspaper report to which the noble Lady has referred. Certainly the Government are, as I said, in a number of different ways taking initiatives to encourage both the increase of training of teachers in these areas and, in the form of the city technology colleges, in the spread of technology instruction.