§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Minister of Labour why there has been such delay, exemplified in a case submitted to him with details, in carrying out the scheme of grants to university students under the Further Education and Training Scheme announced in March, 1945; and whether, as a number of students who have relied upon his Circular are now stranded many months after their release with no funds. he will expedite the scheme.
§ Miss WilkinsonI have been asked to reply, and I have written to the hon. Member about the case to which I under stand that his Question refers. There are over four thousand applications under the Further Education and Training Scheme in various stages of consideration in my Department, and most of these have 123W been received over a very short period. A considerable amount of labour is necessarily involved in the individual examination of the numerous applications received and in assessing the grants pay-. able, but I am most anxious to avoid any hardship to the applicants and to expedite the payment of grants. I am endeavouring to obtain more clerical staff for that purpose.
§ Mr. Mitchisonasked the Minister of Education whether she will now give any indication of when and where a college opening in the Emergency Training Scheme for Teachers will be offered to Miss E. M. Knight, who received notice of selection on 18th June, 1945; and what steps are being taken to shorten the in-between selection and training.
§ Miss WilkinsonIt will probably be several months before Miss E. M. Knight can be offered a vacancy at an emergency training college providing a course of the type for which she has been recommended. New colleges are being opened as rapidly as possible, but in allocating places a considerable degree of priority is given to men released from the Forces and this necessarily increases the period of waiting for civilian candidates.
§ Mr. Garry Allighanasked the Minister of Education the number of applicants that have been selected for a course of training under the emergency scheme; the number of such applicants who have been admitted to an emergency training college; and when it is expected that admission will be possible for the remainder.
§ Miss WilkinsonOn 24th January the number of applicants selected for a course of training under the emergency scheme was 8,366. Some of these are Service men and women, not yet demobilised. One thousand eight hundred and twenty have been admitted to training colleges and a further 540 will be admitted by the end of February. The remainder will be-admitted at intervals during the year as further colleges are opened.