HC Deb 01 August 1957 vol 574 cc241-2W
Sir R. Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what facilities exist to enable technical colleges in overseas territories to obtain advice from experts in technical education in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

In 1949 the then Secretary of State constituted an Advisory Committee on Colonial Colleges of Arts, Science and Technology to advise him and responsible authorities in the Colonies on the development of Colonial Colleges of Arts, Science and Technology. One such college whose development was fostered by this Committee was the Kumasi College of Technology in the Gold Coast.

In order that the services of the Committee may continue to be at the disposal of that college and other similar institutions in the newly emerging countries of the Commonwealth, should their Governments still wish to avail themselves of these facilities, the constitution and terms of reference of the Advisory Committee have been altered.

The new body, with the title of the Council for Overseas Colleges of Arts, Science and Technology, will enjoy the right of direct communication with the Secretaries of State for Commonwealth Relations and for the Colonies.

The constitution of the new Council provides for 17 members and three co-opted members. Of the 17, the Secretaries of State acting together appoint the chairman and seven members: the remaining nine are appointed by the Council itself. The members of the Council are ready not only to advise on technical education but also to visit Colleges overseas and to serve on their Councils.

The chairman is Sir David Lindsay Keir, the Master of Balliol College. The Council's secretariat carries out a number of services on behalf of the colleges, the most important of which is the recruitment of staff.