§ Mr. Fortasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if he will make a statement indicating what progress has been made by each of the designated colleges of advanced technology as regards their new activities.
§ Sir E. BoyleFor many of the colleges the 1956–57 session has been largely one of planning and preparation. At Bradford, Salford and the Welsh College of Advanced Technology, Cardiff, new governing bodies have been set up and at the other colleges the schemes of government have been modified in various ways in order especially to give better representation to industry and commerce and other outside interests. At three of the colleges, new principals have been appointed and at all extra staff are being recruited.
In the 1957–58 session the three colleges in London and Loughborough College will all be concentrating entirely on advanced work. The other colleges must dispose of their lower level work more gradually, in some cases after the completion of building schemes now under construction or being planned.
All the colleges have been actively promoting new advanced courses, especially sandwich courses. The courses shown below have been recognised by the National Council for Technological Awards for the Diploma in Technology. A number of new courses due to start 256W next session at Battersea, Northampton and Chelsea Polytechnics and at Birmingham will be similarly recognised.
Large scale building developments are actually in progress at Salford and Birmingham while at Bradford, Cardiff and Loughborough plans are being urgently prepared for new buildings.
Courses approved for the Diploma in Technology
College and Existing Courses
Battersea: Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering. Metallurgy.
Birmingham: Applied Chemistry, Applied Physics, Chemical Technology, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical and Production Engineering, Metallurgy.
Loughborough: Electrical Engineering, Production Engineering.
Northampton (London)Polytechnic: Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering.
The Welsh College, Cardiff: Mechanical and Production Engineering.