HC Deb 05 April 1944 vol 398 cc2019-20W
Sir H. Webbe

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is now able to make any further statement regarding the Departmental Committee which he proposes to appoint to review the relations of universities to technical colleges in the field of higher technological education.

Mr. Butler

Yes, Sir. I have appointed a Departmental Committee to inquire into this matter with the following terms of reference: Having regard to the requirements of industry, to consider the needs of higher technological education in England and Wales and the respective contributions to be made thereto by Universities and Technical Colleges, and to make recommendations, among other things, as to the means for maintaining appropriate collaboration between Universities and Technical Colleges in this field.

The Right Hon. Lord Eustace Percy has, I am glad to say, consented to be chairman of this committee, the members of which will be:

  • Dr. D. S. Anderson,
  • Sir Lawrence Bragg, O.B.E., M.C.,
  • Mr. W. H. S. Chance,
  • Sir Charles Darwin, K.B.E.,
  • Dr. E. V. Evans, O.B.E.,
  • Mr. Mouat Jones,
  • Mr. S. C. Laws,
  • Dr. H. Lowery,
  • Mr. H. S. Magnay,
  • Sir George Nelson,
  • Mr. J. F. Rees,
  • Dr. R. V. Southwell,
  • Mr. H. Fitzherbert Wright,
with Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop (Board of Education) as Secretary. Officers of-the Board will attend meetings of the Committee as assessors.

The constitution of the Committee does not imply that inquiry is to be confined to such matters as engineering and related sciences. Other important fields such as textile technology or the chemical industries will be brought under review, and additional members will be co-opted to the Committee or appropriate subcommittees for special purposes as required.