§ Mr. Tolleyasked the Minister of Defence if he will make a statement on the arrangements that have been made for liaison between Service and civilian educational authorities, in view of the dissolution of the Central Advisory Council for Adult Education in His Majesty's Forces.
§ Mr. AlexanderThe Central Advisory Council for Adult Education in His Majesty's Forces was created as a wartime organisation at the end of 1939 in order to put men and women in the Forces into touch with the educational resources of the country. The Government have carefully considered, in the light of the changing conditions in the Royal Navy, the Army and the R.A.F., what fresh arrangements are necessary to provide effective liaison between the civilian educational authorities and the Services in peace-time. All three Services wish to make the fullest possible use of the help which civilian education can afford to His Majesty's Forces. Since the end of the war, the three Services have decided to establish advisory bodies, whose members are representative of a wide range of educational interests.
Negotiations with the Central Advisory Council have resulted in agreement that the administrative and executive functions of the Council will be transferred to a small Central Committee to be known as the Central Committee for Adult Education in His Majesty's Forces. This Committee consists of representatives of the Service and Education Departments, the extra-mural Departments of the Universities, the local education authorities, and the voluntary bodies interested in adult education. Its functions will be to co-ordinate the provision of civilian assistance to Services' education and to administer the financial arrangements for this assistance. The work hitherto carried out by the regional committees of the Council will be transferred to the Universities, who will normally undertake it through their extra-mural departments. Negotiations are proceeding as to the best and most economical means of carrying out this transfer of functions. The Universities have been 220W assured that the necessary funds will be provided by the Services, and that the work will continue for a reasonable time.
In view of this agreement, the Central Advisory Council decided to bring its work to an end with effect from 30th June last. The Government feel that the nation owes a deep debt of gratitude to the Council and to its regional committees for their very valuable work throughout the war years and the release period. The development of education in the Services has been greatly assisted as a result of the work of these bodies.
The Government are confident that the changes now introduced are the most suitable to meet the needs of the present circumstances. The new arrangements will preserve and strengthen the close co-operation between civilian and Services' education which had been established during the war years and the Government look forward to developing in the future by this means, even more effectively than in the past, the relations between the various organisations and interests concerned with further civilian education for the benefit of the men and women in His Majesty's Forces.