§ Captain Kerbyasked the Lord Privy Seal what was the cost of setting up the British School for Arabic Studies at Shemlan in the Lebanon; what has been its total cost each year since its establishment; how many students have passed through it; from which branches of Her Majesty's service they came; and how many British and foreign persons serve on its permanent staff.
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§ Mr. SmithersThe Middle East Centre for Arab Studies was set up in Jerusalem in 1943 and the first course was held in 1944. The Centre was transferred to Transjordan in 1947 and to Shemlan in the Lebanon in October, 1947. Annual expenditure since 1943, including the cost of establishment, has been as follows:
£ s. d. 1943–44 531 0 0 1944–45 3,668 0 0 1945–46 10,248 0 0 1946–47 8,670 0 5 1947–48 11,470 11 7* 1948–49 13,991 6 10 1949–50 13,462 12 11 1950–51 16,479 17 9 1951–52 13,827 9 2 1952–53 14,516 13 1 1953–54 15,674 7 10 1954–55 16,190 1 10 1955–56 18,804 9 5 1956–57 23,896 7 3 1957–58 23,792 2 10 1958–59 32,167 1 2 1959–60 36,050 0 0 1960–61 41,449 0 0 1961–62 43,463 12 3 1962–63 48,680 0 0 £399,032 14 4 * Includes £1,000 cost of transfer to Shemlan, Labanan. Against this expenditure Her Majesty's Government receives payment from nongovernmental users of the Centre, who are charged economic fees.
509 students have passed through the Centre, distributed as follows:
Foreign Service 108 Royal Navy 10 Army 127 Royal Air Force 58 Colonial Office 3 British Council 8 Foreign Office Scholars* 6 Commonwealth Governments 14 Sudan Political Service 12 Oil Companies 92 Other Commercial Users 36 Foreign Governments 9 Private Users (British and foreign) 26 509 * Holders of scholarships awarded by the Foreign Office to school leavers who propose to read Arabic at a University. The permanent staff consists of four British (teaching and administration), twelve Arab teachers, and thirteen other Arab employees engaged on administrative and domestic duties.
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§ Captain Kerbyasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will transfer to Wiston House, Steyning, Sussex, in the interests of effective security, the British School of Arabic Studies at present situated in a foreign country.
§ Mr. SmithersNo. There are no security considerations of any kind attaching to the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies at Shemlan in the Lebanon. Its sole purpose is the teaching of modem spoken and literary Arabic and of general knowledge about the Arab world. This can be done more effectively in an Arab environment. The Centre accepts students of any nationality on condition that they know English, which is the language of instruction.