HC Deb 23 March 1939 vol 345 cc1468-9W
Mr. John

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether it is the intention of his Department to send display teams to the Swedish Ling festival at Stockholm; whether he can state the areas from which the teams are to be selected; and whether the Board intends defraying all or part of the cost?

Mr. Lindsay

Seven teams are being sent to participate in the forthcoming Swedish Lingiad at Stockholm, two teams (one of men and one of women) to represent the physical training work of the schools, and five teams to represent the work of post-school organisations. As regards the work of the schools, the men's team is being provided by the Loughborough and the Carnegie Physical Training Colleges, and the women's team by the Ling Physical Education Association, who will be able to draw upon the resources of the Women's Physical Training Colleges. The five teams representing the post-school work are being provided by the Young Men's Christian Association, the Young Women's Christian Association, the National Association of Boys' Clubs, the National Council of Girls' Clubs, and the Women's League of Health and Beauty. The selection of these teams rests with the national voluntary organisations concerned, and I am unable to say from what particular areas, if any, they are being drawn. Grants totalling £1,100 towards the cost of the participation of these seven teams are provided for in a special sub-head of the published Estimates of the Board for 1939–40.

Mr. W. R. Duckworth

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, in view of the fact that some two years are likely to elapse before the physical training college is complete, he can say what arrangements are being made in the meantime for the training of the necessary teachers?

Mr. Lindsay

Pending the establishment of the National College of Physical Training, grants have been, and are being, made to the Central Council of Recreative Physical Training, in accordance with the arrangement outlined in paragraph 21 of the White Paper (Cmd. 5364) to enable the Council to provide, and to assist in providing, training courses for teachers and leaders. Under this arrangement an increasing number of courses for both men and women have been held in most parts of the country. The courses that have been arranged and are in contemplation are of varying types, from short courses held in the evenings and at week-ends to full-time residential courses of three months' duration, and include summer vacation courses and training camps. As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for Derby (Mr. Noel-Baker) last Thursday, the Central Council is being enabled to expand the work still further during the coming financial year.