HC Deb 04 June 1964 vol 695 cc203-4W
Sir R. Russell

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies if he will make a statement about Government financial aid to university colleges in Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

Mr. Sandys

The following is the text of a joint statement by the British and Southern Rhodesia Governments which has been issued today:

The financial discussions between the British and Southern Rhodesia Governments about future provision for the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland have now been concluded and agreement has been reached which will secure the future of the College including its medical school and projected teaching hospital.

The Southern Rhodesia Government will now assume responsibility for the maintenance and development of the College as an independent institution of learning, open to all races, serving not only the higher education requirements of Southern Rhodesia but also contributing to the advancement of knowledge, science and research in Central Africa and within the international community of universities.

The British Government have agreed to contribute £750,000 towards meeting the recurrent expenses of the College in the period up to 1967; a capital grant of £800,000 towards the cost of building the teaching hospital and a further grant of some £300,000 towards general capital expenditure.

The Southern Rhodesia Government for their portion have accepted the responsibility for securing the substantial balances of both capital and recurrent costs necessary. It is estimated that by 1970 the recurrent expenditure alone on the University College, Medical School and Teaching Hospital will amount to some £1.5 million a year.

It is the intention of the Southern Rhodesia Government that the Colleges Institutions, including the faculty of medicine with its associated teaching hospital, should develop as an integrated whole in broad accordance with the draft plans for the period up to 1970 placed before the recent conference on the future of the University by the university authorities and representatives of the former interim board of governors of the teaching hospital.