§ Mr. Hoosonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is aware of the effect of implementing the recommendations of the Pilkington Report on Further Education in relation to sparsely populated rural areas; and to what extent the extension of further education facilities in rural areas will be delayed because the classes are small.
§ Mr. Goronwy RobertsThe new criteria will be applied for the first time to new courses proposed for a start in the academic year 1967–68. Therefore I cannot yet say what the effect will be but the Report recommends that exceptions should be sympathetically entertained in cases in the more scattered country areas where a substantial number of students would be deprived of a course if the normal minimum enrolment was insisted upon.