Educational Co-operation

HC Deb 28 January 1960 vol 616 cc55-6W

Mr. J. Harvey

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what further progress has been made with establishing the permanent machinery for educational co-operation within the Commonwealth recommended by the Commonwealth Education Conference held at Oxford in 1959.

Mr. Alport

The Commonwealth Education Liaison Committee, to which I referred in my reply to the question of the hon. Member for Stirling and Falkirk (Mr. Malcolm MacPherson) on 12th November, was set up at the end of last year and has held its first meeting. The Commonwealth Education Liaison Unit will be established in the near future.

The costs of the Unit will be shared by Commonwealth Governments and its first budget is being drawn up by the Commonwealth Education Liaison Committee. In order to meet the Unit's initial expenses it is proposed that the United Kingdom Government should make an advance to be set off against its first contribution.