§ 57. Sir J. Hutchisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what proposals have been made to the Soviet authorities for the purpose of widening exchanges of cultural, scientific, and technical personnel between the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and what response the Soviet authorities have made.
§ Mr. Ian HarveySpecific proposals have been made over the last few months by the Soviet Relations Committee of the British Council to the Soviet authorities for exchanges of students, teachers, scientists and specialist delegations. Invitations have also been issued to a number of prominent Soviet individuals to visit this country. These proposals and some additional ones have all been included in a comprehensive draft programme of exchanges for the financial year 1958–59 which has been submitted to the Soviet authorities. On some of 147W these proposals the Soviet Relations Committee are still awaiting a definite answer from the Soviet side.
As to the invitation to three hundred Soviet students and young people, the proposal for an annual exchange of twenty language students and the offer of two British Council scholarships, the position is still as stated in my reply to the right honourable and learned Member for Rowley Regis and Tipton (Mr. A. Henderson) on 17th March. Owing to the difficulty of finding places at universities, a reply on both these points is urgently necessary if the proposals are to be proceeded with in the coming academic year.