§ Mr. Molsonasked the Minister of Education why there has been a drastic reduction, without notice or explanation, in the number of State bursaries awarded this year as compared with 1944, excluding from an award many candidates who satisfy the qualifications laid down in the pamphlet entitled State Bursaries, 1945, issued last May.
§ Miss WilkinsonIn a circular issued in May last year, covering a leaflet setting out the conditions for the award of State bursaries in 1945, headmasters and others concerned were informed that the range of subjects for bursaries had been extended, but that the total number would be about two-thirds the number awarded in 1944. In fact the number finally recommended by the Allocation Committee of University Representatives was just under half of the number recommended in 1944. The reasons for this were that the war with Japan had come to an end and that it was decided that the number of science and technical students to be deferred this year should be reduced in order to allow an increased intake of arts students whose numbers have been kept at a very low level during the war. State bursaries were introduced in 1941 as a wartime expedient to provide the Services and wartime industry with a supply of well equipped recruits. They have been awarded in certain technical subjects on the advice of the Government's Technical Personnel Committee. As the Committee recommended a reduction, the standard of award has been higher than in previous years.