§ Major Beamishasked the Minister of Education the reason for the small amount expended by her Department on research: whether she is aware that the sum expended compares unfavourably with sums spent on research by other Departments; and whether she is satisfied that the sums being expended are adequate to ensure progress in the field of education.
§ Miss WilkinsonApart from the expenditure incurred directly by my Department on research, which has substantially increased, there is the research work carried on in technical colleges maintained by local education authorities, whose expenditure on this work ranks for grant 249W from my Ministry. I am sending the hon. and gallant Member a copy of a circular which was issued to authorities on this subject earlier in the year, and which has been much welcomed by both the authorities and the principals of technical colleges.
The recently constituted National Foundation for Educational Research is already carrying out some interesting research work with the aid of grant from my Ministry, and is planning to expand its programme. The foundation is also assisted by subscriptions by the various bodies represented upon it, and contributions amounting to over £5,000 have been made during the present financial year by local education authorities, and these are recognised for grant by my Ministry. Comparison with the expenditure of other Departments on research cannot properly be made without reference to the character of the research work undertaken and the subjects to which it is related.
UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF WHEAT DURING 1946 BY COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN Tons. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Canada … 290,914 231,616 262,358 331,695 317,587 285,459 238,200 129,138 173906 212,063 U.S.A. … — — — — 4,500 — 33,298 108,365 87,374 79,112 Argentine … 11,189 — 948 51,654 34,730 2,600 6,637 4,027 — — Total … 302,103 231,616 263,306 383,349 356,817 288,059 278,135 241,530 261,280 291,175