§ 2. As announced in May the Government decided to give a measure of priority to university textbooks. The first group of twenty-three textbooks on scientific, engineering and other technological subjects is now being produced. These should be available during the forthcoming buying season to students and others in India. We expect shortly to discuss with the Pakistan authorities the possibility of operating a similar scheme in Pakistan. These textbooks will be sold at 9s., 12s. or 15s. a volume, depending on their individual length, diagrams, illustrations, etc. These prices average roughly one-third of normal and in some cases even less. The titles concerned, approved by the Advisory Committee, following our consultations with the university authorities in India, are:
| Title | Author |
| Organic Chemistry, Vols. I and II and Vol. III. | Kipping and Kipping |
| University Algebra | Littlewood |
| Modern Aspects of Inorganic Chemistry. | Emeleus and Anderson |
| Dynamics, Vol. I and Vol. II | Ramsey |
| Mathematical Statistics | Weatherburn |
| Heat Engines | Wrangham |
| Steel Skeleton, Vol. I and Vol. II | Baker |
| Organic Chemistry, Vol. I and Vol. II. | Finar |
| Electricity and Magnetism for Degree Students. | Starling |
| Theory of Structures | Morley |
| Transmission and Distribution of Electrical Energy. | Cotton |
| Principles of Electronics | Gavin and Houldin |
| Pure Mathematics | Hardy |
| Hydromechanics, Vol. I and Vol. II. | Besant and Ramsey |
| Performance and Design of A.C. Machines. | Say |
| Electrical Measurements and Measuring Instruments. | Golding |
| Steam Turbine Theory and Practice. | Kearton |
| Transistor Circuits | Cattermole |
| Introduction to Theory of Functions of a Complex Variable. | Copson |
| Theory of Functions | Titchmarsh |
| Mathematics for Engineers | Rose |
| Electrical Technology, Vol. I and Vol. II. | Cotton |
| Principles of Economics | Marshall |
§ 3. The Advisory Committee has recommended other categories of books, similarly aimed at helping to meet the needs of readers in developing countries in Asia and Africa. The necessary investigations and preparatory work arising from these recommendations are going ahead. One group of titles among those recommended will help people in these countries who wish to develop their knowledge of the English language, or to extend their practical skills. Arrangements are now being made to produce low-priced editions of these titles. They will, of course, be available in substantially greater numbers, and at much lower prices, than the university test-books.
§ The Advisory Committee has recognised that some of its other recommendations involve books which need bringing up-to-date or other adaptation for the purposes of this scheme and that this work will need detailed and expert study.
§ 4. In all this the Government have continued to benefit from the co-operation of the publishing trade. The Publishers' Association has recently informed me that it has now recommended to its membership the establishment of a consortium of publishers familiar with the export fields concerned or otherwise interested in the Low-Priced Book Scheme. This will pool the relevant experience and resources of the trade here and, in co-operation with local trade interests overseas, should be able to offer further help with the Government's programme.